The Sanctuary of Time Vol1
by arcanewings
Summary: The devastation of the Cataclysm had left Azeroth in ruin. As the horde and alliance continued to fight their never-ending war, the bonds and loyalties of old friends is tested, and the emergence of new worlds brings new allies and enemies to light.


146

It was cold tonight, colder than it had been for years. The mountains of storm peaks glowed, as the moonlight fell over the summits and ledges. She hadn't forgotten how long it had been since she had been climbing those mountains in search. In search of her daughter, that she hadn't found…

It had been 5 years since she had started her search, she had following the magical trails, the long roads and the shattered cliffs. She shook her head as memories of those days began to fill her mind. It was all gone now, no way to search, the war had come and the threats of the world could no longer be ignored. She stepped back from the balcony overlooking the city. Dalaran had not changed much while she had been gone; she thought as she walked back into a lavish room filled with books and trinkets. Magical flames dimly lit the surrounding bookshelves and bedroom furniture, leaving shadows crisscrossing along the red carpet. She gracefully closed the glass doors between her room and the balcony, and guided the drapes shut with her mind. She peered into the empty room, unable to bring herself to sit down on the bed. Instead, Skylin rested her back upon the footboard, and slid down in front of it, resting her head on her knees. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them close to her and closed her eyes. She sat in silence for a few moments.

"_To hold you in my arms once again..."_

She could feel her consciousness beginning to slip away, her arms loosened around her legs and she slowly folded onto the floor. She pushed the memories from her mind in one long sigh, smiled and began to softy hum to herself. It was a long and forgotten melody, in a world that had forgotten the softness of lullabies.

…

The night was still young for those that had yet to see battle. The young had begun to converge on the tavern, speaking loudly and without pause.

_Figures… Even Dalaran's youth could be loud and overly annoying._ Nirryen thought, sitting at the back of the tavern, listening to the sound of the harp playing on the upper level. She closed her slender hand around her tome, snapping it shut.

_Pointless… When will these youth learn that they are not the only ones in the city that wishes to enjoy a drink in peace?_

She paused a moment before her mouth curled into a smirk, her eyes peering toward the entrance of the tavern. To the right of the door, sat a large group of young orc warriors; they barked about the training and fights of the day, their voices carried throughout the tavern.

_Well a lesson is always a lesson, no matter what time of day it is._

She continued to peer at the doorway as the light from the torches seem to have less and less effect on the surroundings. The doorway slowly became shrouded in darkness, leaving nothing but a crisp chill in the air. As she watched, she saw a figure appear in the doorframe; his shoulder plate's glowed crimson red, black plates of armour matted his robe and cloak. Once he had full materialized, he stepped forward; his boots were soft and made no sound on the cold stone floor. His presence wrapped the tavern into a darkness that could not be ignored.

The warriors at the table jumped from their seats, lifting their blades to shoulder level and stood at the ready. Just then, a malevolent laugh filled the room.

_Annihilus… always in the mood to make an entrance, _Nirryen thought, reopening her tome. She sensed movement from across the room. A young undead mage stood at the opposite corner of the tavern, and strolled into the middle of the room.

"Torchin, go back to your drink" Nirryen stated bluntly, not lifting her eyes from her tome. Torchin scowled at Nirryen in distaste.

_Figures she'd let this abomination into our midst, _he thought as he made his way back to his chair.

"In the name of Warchief Hellscream, I command you to leave this place at once demon!" A young orc, plated in spiked armour stood before Annihilus. He planted his feet and outstretched his axe toward the darkness.

"Boy, you are too kind." Annihilus smiled, as he ran his finger along his staff and sent the young orc into the air unable to move. The other orc boys did not hesitate; the first swung and only caught air, his axe crashing into the floor, smashing apart the blade. Annihilus had appeared behind them, lightly pushing the two other boys over as they lost their balance. The third boy, whose axe was now in pieces reeled and tried to lay a punch; Annihilus pushed his staff forward and the boy broke his hand off the crystal structure.

The three boys all lay in a heap, unwilling to move as Annihilus' felhunter stood over them snarling and watching for movement. Annihilus turned back toward the young orc that was still floating in the air unable to move.

"You are not wrong to stand and fight, but be sure to pick your battles before you go trying to lop off every warlock's head you see." With that, the boy fell to the ground and Annihilus gracefully walked by him heading toward Nirryen.

"I will have your head for this warlock! The Kirin Tor guard will hear of this trespass!" the boy screamed as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Be sure to let Jaina know I have arrived" Annihilus said without turning to face him. With that said the boys helped each other up and stumbled out the entrance way into the street.

"Nirry… it's been too long" Annihilus hissed as he materialized a chair of bones and skulls from the darkness and gracefully sat down across from her. Nirryen had not looked up from her tome, her eyes flicked with energy as she continued to read. Annihilus sat in silence, dismissing his felhunter with his left hand. Whispers began to fill his mind, leading his focus away from the room.

_She isn't as happy to see me as we are to see her. _

_ That's too bad; we are always the best of hosts._

_ She wants to know what we have been up to._

_ Of course she does, but we shouldn't say anything._

_ What do you mean, she is our friend._

_ Our love, our passion, our constant reminder of beauty…_

_Oh she is beautiful, very beautifu—_

"Enough" Annihilus whispered.

"Had enough of your councillors?" Nirryen spoke without concern.

"They have been…restless" Annihilus responded, he placed his staff next to hers on the wall.

"To be expected, you do love to play with other's heads, only natural that they'd figure out how to start playing with yours" she spoke with sincerity this time, her deep green eyes looked up from the tome, and she smiled.

"You're lucky you're beautiful" Annihilus spoke in a teasing manner, removing his gloves and set them down on the table. Just then the door to the tavern burst open and Kirin Tor guards flooded the room.

"Tavern is closed…please remove yourselves immediately!" the lead Kirin Tor commander stated. His armour was bright purple, his shoulder plates were decorated with priceless crystals and gems and his tunic was splashed with magical trinkets, signifying his rank and magical masteries. The crowded tavern slowly emptied. Annihilus and Nirryen remained seated. Torchin walked by the table, flashing his eyes toward Nirryen. She could tell he was not happy to be displaced due to her guest.

_Must be nice to drink without a face at the bottom of your glass…_

Her thought came in anger then died, before her stood the Kirin Tor commander, his name was Aden, Flame Archmage of the Kirin Tor Battlemages.

"Annihilus, Demon of Crestfallen, I hear by place you under guard and imprisonment by orders of the Kirin Tor council"

_He liked how they referred to him, of course it wasn't his full title but it got the point across. _Annihilus smirked.

"Why are you bothering us Commander Aden, you know who he is, he has done nothing to warrant guard and imprisonment" Nirryen replied, turning to Aden and peered right through him. Commander Aden didn't budge, although she could see her stare was causing him breath heavier. Aden peered at the woman for a moment, his thoughts calculating her position. Nirryen was an unorthodox mage, her battle skill was legendary, but her diplomacy had its limits.

"Forgive me for the intrusion, General Nirryen. I realize your time is precious. We require him for questioning"

"You will not be putting him under guard, I will escort him to the council myself, relieve your mages" Nirryen returned, closing her tome and dematerializing it with a bright blue flame.

"The council has made itself clear General Nirryen, he will be held under guard, this city is under the protection of Kirin Tor, we make the rules here, not you…or him" Commander Aden was becoming agitated, shooting Annihilus a look of discontent.

"My favourite game, whose got the jurisdiction" Annihilus crackled, he stood and reached for his staff. His arm was immediately frozen in place; a band of purple flame ran from his wrist to his shoulder, binding his arm.

"Really…?" Annihilus darkened. The flames on his shoulders suddenly changed color, turning from a deep red to an eerie green. The darkness surrounding him suddenly began to retake the room, extinguishing torches as it spread. The arcane mages behind the commander suddenly stepped back; the few began to scream in pain and tremble to the floor holding their heads.

"So many, too many, I can't…the voices! Make it stop!" the youngest mage screamed as his nose and ears began to bleed out. Nirryen hadn't moved from her seat. She could see how far the darkness had spread, his howl of terror started slowly but it only took time, the more exposure to it, the more damage it did. Nirryen was about to speak, but before she could, the commander acted.

A large wave of electric purple energy ran across the floor, pushing the darkness back and relieving his mages from its effects. The commander shouted for his men to retreat to the entrance, and they did so immediately. The commander stepped before them, and raised his hands to his chest. His hands poured purple flame into what looked like a small star, as his eyes burst into white light and he spoke.

"Come peacefully, or I will destroy you"

Annihilus peered at Aden, smiling in glee at what had transpired. He turned to Nirryen, subtly asking permission to do away with him. She shook her head, and stood.

"Commander; we will stand down. There is no need for bloodshed this day" Nirryen spoke with confidence and vigour; controlling her breathing, she allowed the ether to flow freely through her, just in case the situation was to go south.

"I will not have you harming my men" Commander Aden spoke without remorse or diplomacy; "Any further action and I will burn you back to the demon pit from which you spawned from."

His eyes dimmed back to a shade of light blue and the energy that floated before him dissipated.

"Let's go!" And with that, the two moved toward the entrance, and out into the street.

The screams had awoken nearby residents of Dalaran; many had come to their balconies to investigate the source. The streets were dimly lit by the street torches that burned a bright hue of pink and purple. Avexis peered at all the open windows and lit balconies that had stirred since the incident at the tavern.

_I knew tonight was too quiet._

She lifted her silk hood over her head, concealing her eyes and long slender elf ears. She pulled the straps of her leather gauntlets tight and began to move from the shadows into the street. She could see the Kirin Tor guard escorting a warlock from the tavern, the area surrounding him faded into void as he walked silently along the cobblestone. She slowed her pace, keeping an eye on the escort. She could see another beside him but the shadows were too dark to make out who they were.

_What is this all about?_

Avexis turned down a dark alley way, leaving the scene behind and began to sprint, leaping over the crates filled with rats and filth. She had to get to Justice Zeno; he would know what was going on. She turned the corner and ran straight into a large orc warrior; Avexis sprawling over top of him, the two coming to a thundering crash beside each other. His armour smelled of rotten liquor and blood, and the fur tunic underneath reeked of sweat.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing blood elf" grunted the warrior, as he pulled himself off the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you as I came around there" she pointed to the corner and alley way she had darted through.

"Watch where you're going next time, your lucky I didn't slice you up like a dog, you startled me" He said, lifting his brow in concern. "Rushing around for no—"

His voice was cut off by the sound of loud screeching and hissing, and the flaps of wings.

"Blood elf get inside now!" the warrior shouted, raising his sword. "Guards; scourge gargoyles in the city! Eyes up, swords at the ready men, we've got company!" Avexis turned to the rooftops, peering into the night sky. The sky was dotted with gargoyles, beginning their descent onto the city.

"Crush'em boys, give'em hell!" the warrior roared to the skies.

She sprinted to the steps of the citadel, as green blasts of acid and plasma splashed down around her. She heard the warrior continuing to command the Kirin Tor guards to their flanks, his voice drifted away as she closed the large steel door behind her. She peered into the quiet citadel; the room was lit by candles, creating an aura of gold across the stone walls. She stepped into the moonlight that beamed through the large stain glass window at the head of the citadel. She heard footsteps, and she receded into the shadows, she crouched as she tied her long blonde hair up into a bun and waited. The first voice she heard, she recognized…Zeno.

"You did what!" Zeno yelled, breaking the silence of the citadel.

"Justice Zeno, you must understand he was reaching for his weapon!" a young mage stated as the group entered the main hall of the citadel.

"Justice, I will not apologize for my men, Fernik was doing his job" Commander Aden defended.

"Fernik, leave us" Justice Zeno ordered.

"As you wish Justice" Fernik replied, his footsteps could be heard as he strolled out of the citadel. She peered at him as he exited through the door she had just come through. His voice swelled with power as he came to the steps of the citadel, blasting the nearest gargoyle to a smouldering pile of flesh. She caught a glimpse of him continuing his stride down the stairs and into the street without concern or regard for the acid raining down over the city as the door slowly came shut. Avexis took the opportunity to slip further into the citadel, using the bookcases for cover, gracefully dancing across the stone tile in complete silence. She came to a desk covered in parchment and quills; the writing was in a dialect she didn't recognize but the seal she knew.

_Skylin..._

She waited a moment, listening for more voices. She could hear Zeno and Aden arguing, clearly impatient with each others resolve. Finally, the voices died down to a quiet exchange, each apologizing for their abruptness.

"We will hold him till we have spoken to him with Jaina; she will be interested in what he has to say. He is the only one that has ever entered the wasteland and survived" Zeno said, contemplating the reality that followed his words.

"The wastelands Justice, what are these rumors? Why would any man wish to travel such a road?" Aden responded in disbelief.

"That my friend is why we must speak to him; he may have knowledge that could assist us" Zeno darkened.

"Assist us how Justice?" Commander Aden replied with earnest.

"New factions have begun to dominate each other since the cataclysmic events of Deathwing; enemies are not as clear as they once were."

"What do you mean Justice, our banner men still hold true to the Kirin Tor" Commander Aden stated, running his hand along the purple embroidered banner that hung from the citadel wall.

"Our world is not as it once was; the differences between the horde and alliance are no longer our only concern. Other factions have sprung up across Azeroth, the cataclysm has made them hard and rabid, many perished and they blame us for their pain and loss" Zeno sighed, rounding the table and sitting down.

_If only we could have had the time to secure our lands, our forces could have saved so many..._

His mind wandered into a silent prayer for those that had not made it through the cataclysm. He closed his eyes, and a halo appeared above his head, vibrating and humming earnestly, sending rays of light up into the rafters of the citadel.

"Your prayers are heard by the ancients" Commander Aden stated, and bowed in respect.

"They are lost in the nether of men, who seek glory over life" Justice Zeno retorted, his eyes appeared sad for a moment, but only for a moment. "The world will see new heroes, the old will lick their wounds and we now have a man whom has crossed the wastelands, the world has changed my friend, and not for the better"

"Justice, I commend your wisdom, but I still do not see how this affects us" Aden replied in sincerity, "the horde have begun to wage all out war on the alliance, many who are unable or unwilling to fight have sought refuge here, our sanctuary will not be maintained as the conflict continues to intensify"

"I know, that is why the wastelands have become the councils primary concern" Zeno replied, "There is a place called Venith, a city of magic, one that even dwarfs the grandness of Dalaran, however it disappeared, its last known whereabouts—"

"The wastelands" Commander Aden finished his sentence, and turned toward the citadel entrance.

"Yes Commander, we have to find this city that was created by the Bronze Dragonflight, it will help us divert our refugees to a safe place, one that is not so strategically prominent in negotiations between the men that create unending war" Zeno sighed again, he was getting tired, he peered out the window of the citadel. The night had begun to lift and he could see sun peaking over the mountains of Icecrown. The doors of the citadel opened, and Sergeant Elliot entered.

"Justice, I'd like to report that the gargoyles that attacked the city have been eliminated, we have patrols on all sections of the city"

Justice Zeno turned to him and gave him an approving nod; the guard saluted and left.

"Commander, return to your quarters. I will speak to Nirryen and Annihilus when I have rested"

_So that's who's with the warlock._ Avexis moved from the desk and began to make her way back toward the door.

"As you wish, Justice" Commander Aden saluted, and with a flash of light teleported away. Justice Zeno sat at his desk, staring into the night sky, his mind filled with the day's events and he sighed, letting his shoulders fold in. Avexis was almost at the citadel door, when she heard her name.

"Avexis" Justice Zeno stated bluntly, not turning to face the entrance. She cursed under her breath and froze_. _Avexis slowly stood from the shadows and walked lightly toward his desk.

"Zeno, I didn't think…"

"It's okay, I'm just tired, and I figure you had some questions for me or you wouldn't have waited so long" Zeno turned to face her, smiling lightly and pointed at the chair in front of his desk. "Please, sit" Avexis sat down, as she looked up at him, she caught another piece of parchment with Skylin's seal on it. Her focus was evident, her thoughts began to race.

"She's here" Zeno presented without explanation.

"She's here?! How? Why? What is she doing here? Avexis stuttered, almost losing her voice completely.

"How long has it been since you last saw her?" Zeno asked politely, sincerity filled his voice as he peered at the young blood elf.

"It's been years, five…years" her eyes filled with tears, as memories of her past flooded her mind, "I thought she was dead or worse"

"Avexis, she requests to meet with you as soon as you are able" Zeno relayed, "as for the other matter, we are currently dealing with the situation, Annihilus has come to us from the wastelands, unfortunately for him, not all seem to appreciate his return"

"I saw them in the streets, he didn't go quietly from the tavern" Avexis stated bluntly, her thoughts still on Skylin. Zeno saw by the comment and addressed her directly.

"You're not wrong to feel as you do" his words were sincere, but that didn't quell the despair that she felt.

_I was here. You said wait, and now. Now things were different._

Avexis realized she was peering at the stone floor, righted and looked back at the gold plated paladin sitting before her.

"I will meet with her when I am ready, as for Annihilus I leave that up to you, I will have no part in this dilemma" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice firm and without emotion.

"I understand, however I do require your presence at council this evening" Zeno spoke with such authority that it was impossible to refute.

"I will be there" she stood and started to walk to the entrance.

"Ave..." She paused, but didn't turn.

"We have all sacrificed much, try not to let your past destroy your future, it would wise to give her a chance" Zeno spoke sincerely, then strolled back into the citadel quarters and with the thud of the wooden door, was gone. Avexis stood for a moment in the citadel, unable to move. Tears began to flow without regard now, she collapsed onto the floor, wrapping herself in her cloak and cried until she couldn't anymore.

The dungeon smelled of blood and urine, which was the only two smells he could distinguish, the rest always seemed to mix in with those two. Annihilus stood in the cell, unable to move from his arcane binds. He used to enjoy these days, but in his age he had become terribly impatient while other men decided his fate.

_So they still don't like you very much, even though you saved their council a thousand years of research. _

_ You know they love it when you come; they get to play good guys and bad guys._

_You're not sure what to think, what to feel, you should probably just burn this to the ground, wouldn't that be fun._

_ Yes! That would be fun!_

_ Binds…has everyone forgot about the binds._

_ What binds, as if these binds could hold me?_

_ Then why haven't we moved?_

"Because we're not stupid" Annihilus hissed "Might I remind you that you exist in me, not the other way around"

_What you don't like us fretting about, we like to see things too you know, not spending this life locked up in a cage._

_You think we want to be here, we made you powerful, and you took our power without hesitation._

_ Then you are the weak ones, I do not give him any power._

_You're here you fool, talking inside this head of ours, no wonder you want to burn things to the ground all the time._

_ Lavish swine, saturated in compassion, burn them._

_ I've had enough of your bickering, leave us be._

_There is nothing inside here Annihilus, just us, your friends, the ones you killed for all the fun you have._

Annihilus crackled in glee. He turned his head toward the guard and smiled.

_It's too bad he can't hear all you; he'd be in a strange place now wouldn't he._

"Guard, come here" Annihilus commanded, smiling innocently at him with all his might. The Kirin Tor guard slowly moved toward him.

"What do you want warlock" the guard responded, "I have no time for your games"

_Oh not a game, just your mind. Let me have a look, please, please please._

_ Shh, it's coming just wait…just one more second._

"I need you to fetch my smokes, they are in my robes" Annihilus asked in complete sincerity.

"Where?" the guard responded, "I don't see them"

The guard reached out and touched his robe, instantly he fell to his knees, gasping for air.

_Oh look at that, no defensive spell up. That must have hit him like a hammer._

_ Hahaha, what an innocent mind, family, friends, he's like king ordinary._

_ What a wonderful means of making gold, selling orphans for profit._

_ I suppose we all have our dark sides, now don't we._

"Oh, you are a wicked one aren't you" Annihilus hissed, staring down at the man crippled on the floor.

"Argh! Let go of me you monster!" the guard yelled in agony.

"Monster? I'm the monster, and you're the one selling orphans" Annihilus crackled at him, "what petty logic is this?"

The room filled with light, and Annihilus broke the connection. Before him appeared 6 Kirin Tor council members, Jaina Proudmoore stepped forward and healed the guard.

"I can't leave you alone with my men can I?" She reserved her humour, and stared at him coldly.

"Your guards seem to have their own secrets, my lady." Annihilus crackled, laughing at the guard as he was helped out of the chamber.

"You will be wise in my company Annihilus, I have a lot of unresolved issues with you" Jaina stated, returning to her place among the council. "However, this is not why we have brought you here"

"What can I do for you, my lady" Annihilus smirked, sensing a deep lust rise in him toward the only woman that had the power to kill him.

"You too, will control your thoughts while you are in our company" Kirin Tor Leader Rhonin Redhair stated, stepping toward the bound warlock. His eyes searched for some kind of sanity in the man, but he was not willing to peer into the great void the warlocks mind held.

"Seems like humans don't have much patience for the void" Annihilus crackled "Too much to handle dear Rhonin, your resolve is pathetic"

Rhonin didn't respond, he turned back to Jaina and spoke softly within her mind.

_Would you like to take over?_

Jaina spoke.

"The council members will leave; I will meet you in the Chamber of Air when I am done debriefing our guest"

With that, the council members vanished in a flash of violet light, leaving only Jaina and Annihilus to square their differences.

The room grew cold as the bindings dissipated, talking was now over.

…

_-And through my memories, you will always be here.-_

Skylin sprawled up from the floor, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. She scanned the room, feeling the wisps of magic circulate around her hands and down her arms, keen and ready. The voice had been so close; she slowly walked to the balcony and peered through where the curtains crossed. The light from the horizon lit up the side of her face, and she squinted.

_Was it just another dream?_

Skylin turned back into the room, walked the entire perimeter to ensure she was alone. She sat down on the right side of her bed, and stared into the colourful wallpaper patterning upward from the floor. She ran her hands through her pink hair, pushing her bangs out of her face. She rubbed her eyes and rested her head in her hands.

_It was just a dream._

She tried to recall what she had seen, a battle, the battle, the one she has never been able to forget. She could remember the horde forces charging into the valley, their war wolves streaming into the plains, atop the great beasts sat their riders, sword, axe and shield pointed toward the oncoming alliance. The battle broke out into a cascade of blood and magic. Explosions filled the battlefield as mages, warlocks and druids lobbed spells back and forth. Warriors clashed in heated battle, avoiding the magic from both sides as they danced with one another across the field. She watched as a young priest ran toward a wounded hunter, his explosive arrows had detonated in his quiver, leaving his back shredded and bloody.

She recognized the priest, and her eyes began to tear. Her memory was so vivid; she lost her balance and collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes became blurred, as she remembered. The priest had reached the hunter; she knelt by his side and set down her satchel to begin casting her prayer of mending. Her words we're soft and with grace, as the shattered bones and skin began to heal, the hunter sighed in relief as his body became whole once more. She spoke kind words to him, encouraging him to remain strong as she finished her cast. She grabbed his hand and helped him stand, the battle raged around them but her shield held true. A lance ricocheted off her shield, peeling off the side and into an alliance horse. The horse reared and galloped through the soldiers, throwing both horde and alliance onto their backs. She smiled at the hunter as he raised his bow and re-entered the battlefield, stepping out from her large golden shield. She closed her mind and reduced the shield to around herself, and began to sprint toward another wounded. She was half-way there…

Skylin's tears fell to the floor, her eyes red and sore. The sound of the wings in her head stirred her anger, as she remembered the moment everything changed. A dragon of Storm Peaks, Vyragosa had descended upon the battlefield, looking for an easy meal. Skylin had just blasted her way through three Alliance warriors, when she heard the scream. The dragon had body parts of both orc and human trailing from its mouth by the time she could see what was happening. She saw others fighting at her feet, hacking away at her scaled legs to no avail. Her daughter was trapped between the Alliance and Vyragosa, the dragon bounced fire balls off her shield as she tried to hold off the advancing alliance. Skylin had casted her wings and jumped into flight, aiming ice lances at the skull of the dragon. The dragon screamed in agony as her lances bit through her scales and into her skull. The dragon turned her attention away from the shielded priest and aimed her flame to the skies. The dragon was slow, as another well aimed lance penetrated its eye and left it sprawling across the field, trampling a large group of undead. Skylin had landed as close as she could to her daughter, casting a large crystal structure around the two of them to prevent any further attack.

The walls of ice that now stood, acted as a pillar in the battlefield. The battle converged on its erection, some using it for cover, others trying to blast it down. She reached to grab her daughter, when a dark entity appeared from behind. His smile was unravelled, his persona tainted in saturated arcane energies, he stepped forward without hesitation. He grabbed her daughter by the arm and vanished, her daughter gone. Skylin stood in the dome of ice, paralyzed in fear and despair as her structure, her world, her heart, came crashing down around her.

_And then everything went black. _

Skylin remembered awakening in the infirmary of Dalaran, lying still on the hospital bed, unwilling to move. Her mind was blank, her heart broken, and the time since that moment had felt like an eternity.

_In a moment you vanished..._

Her thoughts returned to the present, her eyes swollen from the tears that had dried upon her face. She wiped her face with her fingers, and ran her hand through her hair; pushing it back over her shoulders. She stood and pulled her tabard off, throwing it onto the bed as she walked to the washroom. She casted herself a water spell, cascading a thin cloud over the bath, as warm rain began to splash down into the tub. She peered at the crystal rain, smiled at its beauty then back at the porcelain framed mirror. She starred into her violet eyes; the energy glowed subtly as her pupils scanned her neck and slender elf ears. She removed her studded diamond earrings, which glimmered in the magical light, and set them down on the wash table. She removed the rest of her attire, hanging her robes on the bathroom door, her staff sat next to the wash table.

_Always in reach…_

A knock at the door startled her, bringing her full attention back to the room. She wrapped herself in a frostweave towel, and proceeded to the door. As she opened it, her heart almost stopped.

_Avexis…_

…

Nirryen lay in the mage quarters, flicking water bolts at trinkets. Her mind had wandered to far off places; day dreaming was her favourite thing to do. The door to the quarters cracked open slightly, and then a well dressed undead mage entered. Torchin strolled into the room, staring at Nirryen lying on one of the sofa beds. Her blue casual robes were elegantly sprawled across her, her bare shoulders clearly visible from the cut of the cloth. Her hair was held up by a blue energy band, neatly pulled back into a ponytail that rested on the back of the sofa. Her right leg was curled next to the left, cascading the elegant cloth down across her, revealing the skin of her thigh and black interlaced boots. She peered up at the undead mage staring at her from across the room.

"Well, are you just going to stand there and gawk?" Nirryen shot.

"Not much to gawk at, this is a lot more than you usually wear" Torchin replied, smiling proudly at his ability to be flirtatious.

"Your humour doesn't amuse me, considering that anything under that robe of yours has been long dead for close to a hundred years" Nirryen rebutted, sending him a cold look.

He recoiled, not expecting such coldness; he re-centred his approach and darkened slightly.

"I may be dead, but at least I am not void of emotion" he spat, turning from her sight and proceeded to the bookshelves. He pulled a tome from the third shelf, and cracked it open; dust fell from its pages.

"Have you spoken to Strither?" Nirryen asked, completely dismissing his last comment.

"No, he has been on route to the Necromancer Vigil" Torchin replied, not looking up from the tome.

"Why is a priest going to a warlock den?" Nirryen paused, throwing her legs off the sofa and onto the floor with a thud.

"I couldn't tell you, he said he had a friend to meet and that was all" Torchin paused, waiting for her response which never came.

Nirryen strolled out of the room, closing the steel door behind her with her mind.

_Useless…_

Nirryen thought as she passed under the magical flames that lit the corridor. She paused a moment, she heard heavy footsteps entering the corridor. Ahead of her, she saw two human death knights come around the corner, laughing at the Dalaran decorations that lined the walls.

"Trinkets, paintings, gold furniture, they sure don't step out of the luxuries here" chuckled the death knight on the left. He was taller, and much more muscular than the other, his boots matted the carpet with blood as he walked. His partner was younger; his armour gave off a green hue, signifying masteries in unholy magic. His eyes were a bright blue that pierced the corridor, his focus directed at the shadows; he appeared to be more paranoid than the other.

"I hate these cities, full of hypocrites and liars" said the unholy death knight, pushing onward and not noticing Nirryen standing at the end of the hall. She moved to the center of the corridor and remarked.

"Then you shouldn't come here if it bothers you so much" she stated bluntly, walking toward the two.

"We come as we please, we leave when we want, what made our conversation your business" the blood death knight stated, stepping forward. "You should learn your place blood elf, you and your filthy addictions"

"My past never negates a possible future, especially when knights freeze to death in corridors and their plate becomes their tombs" she directed coldly.

"Try it pretty one, it will be the last winter you will ever conceive" the unholy death knight stated, raising his hand as it became engulfed in green flame and faces of the dead.

"I would ask your pathetic excuse of a colleague to hold his tongue about my people; they would have destroyed you 'things' long before you were even born if we had not had mercy" Nirryen's rebuttal was swift, but her reaction time was even quicker. The blood death knight began to charge, coming at her with his fists. She stepped easily out of the way, letting him crash down in front of her. She placed her foot on his back as ice began to form around his torso, leeching onto the floor and then becoming solid.

"You bitch! What the hell! Orinex get her! I can't get up!" he yelped as he repeatedly tried to pull himself off the floor.

Nirryen had turned to the other death knight, taking pause for him to consider his next move.

"Well?" she stated, putting her hand on her hip and sighed.

The unholy death knight nodded at her in submission, and bent down to begin removing the icy bonds that held his friend.

"Enjoy boys" Nirryen laughed as she strolled off down the corridor.

…

Avexis had waited five years for what transpired in the moments that door opened. She stood there waiting, trying to control her urge to run away. The door edged open, and the first things she saw was Skylin's long pink hair and then her violet eyes. Her eyes were pale compared to years before, the journey and searching had taken its toll. The once flicker that made her who she was, was now a dim flame.

It took all her courage to speak, but when she opened her mouth, her voice cracked. She fell silent once more.

Time seemed to stand still, as if the moment had been a lifetime, then suddenly she was being embraced. Her arms remained at her sides, but Skylin had fully embraced her, almost losing the towel that she had on.

_Sky…_

Skylin let go and retied the towel in place, stepping back a foot to give her space.

"Avexis" Skylin stated "I'm glad you're still well"

Avexis hadn't heard a word of it, she was transfixed on her own voice, her lips, her tongue, the things that made her who she was, were still there. She was still here.

"Avexis?" Skylin asked, suddenly becoming concerned.

_It's been a long time sister._

The voice appeared in her head almost instantly. Skylin remained where she was, listening to what her sister had to say.

_You were gone a long time, you were lost, dead, forgotten, all of these things. The winters came and went, and you never returned, you never came home. I was still a kid when you left, I lost my niece and my sister that day… you…you disappeared._ Skylin could feel her sister's anger._ You said you would return, you said to wait so that you could train me. But you never came home..._

Skylin stared into her sister, listening to every word as it manifested in her mind. She could see the pain, the memories, the ways of the world and what she had endured because of her absence.

Skylin paused, and then began to speak.

"I have no words to justify what I have failed to be. I have travelled to the ends of Azeroth in search of my heart, and it is yours that has become the victim of that choice, for that I am eternally sorry"

There was a long pause as they peered at one another.

_Know that your return will not be easy for me, and that I am here only to know that what they have told me is true. We will move on, but know that my heart does not mend with your return._ Avexis spoke telepathically to her sister, before turning and walking back down the corridor.

Skylin watched her sister walk out of sight; her thoughts her own.

_And you my sister have become the woman; I always hoped you would be._

…

Justice Zeno peered out the citadel windows, the rooms behind him were filled with incense; his meditations had been intense since his conversation with Commander Aden and Avexis. His mind was weary, his thoughts were scattered. He wondered if Jaina had made any progress with Annihilus.

_Probably not, that man was as stubborn as a talbuk. _

He was about to return to his meditations when a bright flash of light lit up Krasus Landing. A large envoy from the horde had arrived, orc Warchief Garrosh Hellscream stood in front of his envoy on the platform. His shoulder plates were as wide as the kodo that accompanied his stewards; his eyes peered around, scanning the surrounding area.

_As if this day couldn't get more complicated…_

Zeno shook his head and turned to his wardrobe. He removed the clasps of his night robes and hung them up. He casted his transfiguration spell and soft red cloth began to cover his skin. Large plates of armour began to take form over it, constructing his attire. Bright golden armour appeared over his limbs and body, as a bright gold chain snapped together, one rung at a time as it tightened around the paladins form.

He picked up his tome of blessings, and exited through the purple curtains that hung between his room and the rest of the citadel.

As he reached the courtyard, he met Garrosh Hellscream in front of the bright golden statue that had been erected to commemorate those that defeated Arthas, Lich King of the Scourge.

Hellscream seemed to ignore the statue completely, as he peered at the brightly armoured paladin that had come to greet him.

"Justice Zeno, I see you're still well" Hellscream grunted, pushing by him and inspecting the sword Zeno had seethed at his side, "New weapon Justice?"

"Oh this old thing, I figure I wouldn't be slaying too many people today so I brought it out for show and tell" Zeno replied in kind. "It is a sturdy blade Warchief; would you like to try it out?"

Zeno moved to remove the sword, but Hellscream placed his large tan hand on his and shook his head.

"Not today Justice, but I appreciate your hospitality. I respect only you in this city of trickery and illusion" Warchief stated bluntly, before stepping back in front of his envoy. "I have come to speak to Skylin"

"I believe she is still in the city Warchief" Zeno replied, turning back toward the citadel, "Please, follow me I will take you to her at once"

"Thank you Justice" Hellscream turned his head to his envoy and grunted for them to follow.

They had reached the steps of the citadel. The envoy had begun to unload their cargo into the inn across the street. Hellscream and Zeno walked together up to the citadel doors, passing the Kirin Tor guards. They slammed their fist to their chests in salute of the Warchief.

_Still some respect in these places, men that know what's good for them._

Garrosh's thought came as he saluted back, nodding at the well armoured guards.

Justice Zeno turned to Hellscream once they had entered the citadel.

"Warchief we will meet in my study, I will have one of the guards fetch her from her quarters" His hands directed the Warchief to a large room that had an aqua glow, in it stood a large round table and an array of bookshelves filled with tomes. Hellscream could taste the peacebloom incense as he entered. Hellscream did not sit; he stood at the round table, surveying the war strategies and placement of forces that appeared as holograms. He was impressed by their defensive strategies, leaving the only corridor to Crystalsong Forest through Storm Peaks. His eyes widened as he saw other forces begin to move across the map, they were a light blue and alliance banners were draped over their mounts.

"Justice! What is this group of alliance doing here?" Hellscream commanded; his blood boiled as he watched the banners come to a halt at the entrance to storm peaks.

"That is Highlord Tyrion Fordring, his banner men have accompanied him to storm peaks to meet with the valkyries, their council remains perched upon the highest peak" Zeno replied without concern. "You have met them have you not, surely Sylvanas has introduced you"

"That undead bitch is creating monsters as we speak. With those abominations assisting her, the undead now have a seemingly endless army. Those valkyries…" Hellscream paused a moment, considering his position. "It is unfortunate they cannot be destroyed by axe or sword…or they would have been removed during my visit to the Eastern Kingdoms"

"Undead swordsmen of unlimited number is an asset to the horde is it not Warchief?" Zeno replied, but he already knew the answer to that question.

"Yes, until the undead bitch loses her mind again and tries to take it all for herself" the Warchief sighed. He enjoyed the company of this blood elf, he was the only one that didn't attach a certain attitude of entitlement to their past. He was straight, wise and willing to do what was necessary to ensure success.

"Where is your guard, I grow impatient" Hellscream spat as he sat down in a padded chair. "Malin…Fetch us wine from our cargo, I wish to share a drink with our fine host!" he roared, becoming abrupt in his demands. His steward nodded, and teleported out of sight.

"Mages at your side now Hellscream, who would have known" Justice Zeno sneered.

"Thrall has insisted we keep them at the ready, apparently axe and shield do not protect us from the threats of the nether; a pity to such a degree, things were much simpler when it was the skill of your sword that made you a warrior, not flames from your arse"

The two chuckled as old friends; the steward had returned and placed two filled goblets in front of them. They toasted one another and smiled, raising their glasses toward the ceiling. Zeno drank his gracefully, sensually enjoying the taste of orcish wine. Garrosh poured the entire contents into his jaw and swallowed, letting out a long belch.

"The grace of the Warchief never ceases to amaze me" Skylin stated as she entered the room. She wore a long purple robe, her shoulder pads were constructed out of diamond crystals that beamed a hue of violet, her gloves were tight against her arms, and her tempest crown sat lightly on her head. Her pink hair was straightened and neatly set to flow down the side of her face.

"Skylin" Hellscream said, as he stood from his chair. "About time you arrived"

"I apologize for my tardiness warchief, we blood elves have to look good for our visitors" she smiled and winked.

"Skylin, Garrosh, I will take my leave, please feel free to let one of my men know if you need anything, I will return to my quarters for prayer" Zeno stated with elegant articulation, as he began to walk toward the entrance of the citadel.

"Honour is mine Justice" the warchief exclaimed, bowing his head in respect.

"Pleasant meditations Justice" Skylin bowed as well.

Zeno nodded at the both of them before walking out of the citadel, the room became very quiet as the click of the citadel doors came to a close.

Hellscream stood at the table, still staring at the holograms that moved slightly.

"You wished to see me warchief" Skylin asked in curiosity.

"Sky, I have come on behalf of Thrall" Hellscream began, seemingly without care or concern for the subject he was about to announce, "He has found your adversary, the one you call Kaylen is in outland, he has been hiding within the ruins of Black Temple"

Skylin sat down slowly; her face began to go white and he thought she was going to be sick. Before the warchief could speak another word, her hands lit into a fiery glow of purple and pink, the room began to shake as trinkets and books began to fly across the room. She righted from her chair quickly, shooting a look over the table at the warchief.

He looked into her face, seeing her eyes turn from their violet to a cold star white. She no longer held any constraints on her power. She didn't say anything to him; she just smiled and then vanished. The remaining trinkets and books floating within the room fell to the floor with a thud, and the warchief was alone for the first time since he reached Dalaran.

_Thrall will be waiting for you guardian, I hope you find her._

…

Nirryen could hear the words come into her mind. She reached out into the ether, trying to get a hold of the power that was jetting across the nether to outland.

_Sky… _

No reply.

_Damn it Sky, I'm going to kill you myself one of these days._

Nirryen was sitting on the ledge of Dalaran, her legs dangling from the hovering cliff that was suspended thousands of feet in the air. She sighed as she got up, she was about to have a conversation she didn't want to have. She shook her head, wiping the annoyance from her mind, and teleported into the citadel.

_She needs our help. _

"I know" she whispered to herself.

She strolled into the study of Jaina Proudmoore; her presence was noticed almost immediately as Jaina teleported into the room as well.

"Nirryen, nice to see your making yourself at home as usual" Jaina remarked, setting her staff next to her desk.

"Are you done with him?" Nirryen asked without a regard for the previous comment.

"No" Jaina replied bluntly, sitting down at her desk and crossing her legs.

"I need him" Nirryen stated, her tone trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

"Frankly, I don't care what you need Nirry, you think you can make decisions in this city, you are wrong" Jaina remarked, clearly not happy. "It was bad enough you didn't stop him from making our tavern a battleground!"

Jaina threw her trinkets across the desk, scolding Nirryen with her eyes.

"He must of pissed you off this time…is he even still alive or did you just happen to fuck him before you cut out his other eye" Nirryen shot fiercely.

Jaina recoiled; she stood from her chair, enraged by Nirryen's comments.

"You think you have any idea of what damage he has caused me?" She screamed, "You selfish bitch, get out of my sight!"

"I am not leaving without him" Nirryen stated calmly, she moved to the right of the room, her eyes peering through the human mage in front of her.

"You get out, he is our prisoner and that means we say what happens to him now" Jaina stated, raising her hand, lifting Nirryen off her feet and threw her against the wall.

Nirryen fell to the ground, winded by the impact. She stood swiftly and her attire changed instantly into her battle robes. They were bright pink, her shoulder plate's glowed sky blue as energy filled water particles burst into crystals. Her dagger burst into bluish flames as she began to let the ether flow through her.

"I could have sworn we made a pact not to do this inside anymore" Nirryen said coldly, casting a barrier of water around her self.

"I'm tired of your interference in Kirin Tor matters, we make the rules here Nirry" Jaina exclaimed, as she sent four arcane missiles ricocheting off Nirryen's bubble.

"I am asking nicely Jaina, do not make this a big deal" Nirryen said, throwing Jaina's staff out the window with her mind. Jaina became infuriated, suddenly becoming enthralled in her rage.

"I said no! He stays with us for the time being!" Jaina screamed, launching a large arcane ball at Nirryen, her bubble broke and the force threw her through the citadel wall.

Nirryen was unconscious as she began to fall from Dalaran; the force of the arcane blast had thrown her clear off the floating city. Her limp body plummeted, her attire breaking off as the wind rushed by her.

Jaina breathed, and in that moment the city shook.

A huge explosion detonated in the city, sending a large piece of the city foundations tumbling off the edge. Jaina was standing and staring out the hole she had blasted Nirry through just as the explosion went off. Before she could turn, Annihilus appeared before her hovering within his shadows. She couldn't speak a word before he tore her out of the citadel and threw her out into the sky.

He vanished instantly, appearing under Nirryen whose body was about to hit the Crystalsong Forest plateau. He embraced her, slowed his fall and set her down on the grass softly. He stared at her briefly ensuring her breathing was steady. He heard a call to arms above him; he looked up and saw Jaina and her guard plummeting toward him.

"Come and get me you fools! I will be the death of you all!" He roared, transforming into a demon ten times his original size. The shadows around him consumed the grass and leaves, burning them up as his wings flapped the darkness into a giant pool of void. "Demons of old, hear your master's call! I unleash you for your bonds, come forth at my will! Destroy all who oppose me!"

The void began to vibrate as shadows shot out into the crystal blue sky. The winged shadows cut into the first of the Battlemages to descend to their level.

Jaina sent large rays of purple and pink blasts in all directions, destroying the shadows after her easily.

Annihilus laughed in glee. He rose with his wings and shot toward Jaina, he grabbed the guard in front of her, breaking his bones in his grip and threw him into her. She fell to the ground; the battlemage's dead body lay on top of her. She took a deep breath and forced him off. She could see Annihilus above her, four of her guard had surrounded him and we're casting lances at his head. Jaina casted a tether and whipped it toward Annihilus. The tether grabbed his foot and she pulled him to the ground, his body landing in a crater of dirt and ash.

A loud laugh began to fill the forest, as the shadows and his body vanished into the forest.

The four remaining battlemages regrouped to Jaina, each keeping their wards up, waiting for him to reappear.

The moment came sooner than expected, Annihilus unleashed a wave of darkness over them, and suddenly their field of vision was nothing but their greatest fears. Each mage began to whimper as they struggled to push the darkness back.

Jaina saw Annihilus appear before her, his eyes red as the blood that now ran down her arms.

"You" she exclaimed, raising her staff toward him.

Before she could cast, he pounced, toppling her over and pinning her underneath his weight. He morphed back into his human form; his shoulder plates shot two bone spikes into her arms, pinning her to the ground as she screamed in agony.

Annihilus stood; three mages were incapacitated, whimpering in the grass, holding their heads. The other was on his knees still trying to cast at the void, unable to break its power. All Jaina could do was watch as Annihilus strolled over to him, and cut him down with his blade. His eyes went gray as the top half of his torso split and slid to the ground to the right, his legs to the left.

He turned back toward her, his eyes in a fury of orange and red. He raised his bloodied sword toward her and let the blood drip onto her face.

"This is on you Magi, you dare cross my heart again, and I will rip the very soul from your body and destroy it piece by piece" His voice was cold, his focus unwavering.

She shuttered and for the first time in a long time, she felt fear.

…

Avexis had felt the explosion from the training terrace. She turned to her class, filled with children between the ages of twelve and twenty.

"All of you go home, tell your parents class has been cancelled today" she stated with authority. The children had heard the blast as well, some questioned her as she ushered them off the terrace. "Go, I will tell you when I know myself"

The curious children ran after their friends, all chattering about what the blast could have been. She had a really bad feeling about what had transpired.

Avexis could hear shouting from the walls. She turned toward the citadel and began her trek to it. The city was in a sprawl, the main corridor of Sunreaver's Sanctuary was crowded with merchants trying to move their cargo off the streets. She was half way to the citadel when Justice Zeno came running through the streets with two other paladins that she knew as Zexis and Ammathel.

"Avexis, I need you to do me a favour!" Zeno yelled over the crowd.

"Yes, what is it?" She yelled back.

"Go get Skylin! Annihilus has ended his stay here and he's not going quietly!" He yelled back to her as he headed to the edge of Dalaran. She nodded at him. She saw him nod at his colleagues, large bright golden wings sprouted from each of their backs and they jumped off the ledge. She turned and sprinted toward the citadel.

_Sky, we need your help._

She reached the citadel quarters in seconds; she was so quick that the guards didn't even notice her enter. She darted up the flight of stairs to Skylin's room, bursting through the door, coming face to face with Annihilus. He threw her against the wall, raising her off her feet.

"Where is Skylin?" Annihilus commanded.

"I came to find her too" Avexis gasped as his grip tightened around her neck.

"Annihilus" a weak voice came from the bed. Annihilus didn't turn, he stared darkly into Avexis eyes looking for a sign that she was lying.

"Annihilus put her down" Nirryen said, lifting herself up into a sitting position.

He dropped her, and returned to the bed.

Avexis rubbed her throat, feeling her vocal cords strained.

"Where is my sister?" Avexis commanded.

"She is gone" Nirryen said weakly.

"What you mean she's gone!" Avexis materialized two blades out of the shadows, and pointed them directly at their necks.

"Damn…she's not joking" Annihilus chuckled.

"Put your blades away Avexis, she has gone to Outland for Kaylen" Nirry stated, casting a regeneration spell on herself.

She lowered her blades, staring at the two of them blankly.

"But, but she just got here" Avexis said in disbelief.

"Thrall found him in the ruins of Black Temple" Nirryen stated. "This is why this whole situation has begun"

"We need to leave" Annihilus said as he peered out over the balcony.

"Leave?" Avexis gasped.

"Yes, leave. I could take one paladin, but three is another story, and Nirryen is not in any shape to fight" Annihilus explained, pointing at the three golden wings rising in the distance.

"Avexis are you coming?" Nirry asked as she began to cast a portal.

"I've never been to outland" Avexis said.

"Always a first time for everything" Annihilus said, pushing her into the portal, her body disappeared.

"Really…? At least give me a heads up, I was barely done casting" Nirryen exclaimed.

"No time like the present" he chuckled, coming to her side and helping her stand.

"You always were a smart ass" Nirryen smiled weakly, staggering slightly toward the portal.

"See you on the other side" Annihilus said, letting her go as she entered the portal.

The windows of the citadel quarters shattered, as the entire wall was ripped from its foundations. Annihilus stood at the portal; he could see the three paladins hovering in the air just outside of the hole they had torn out.

"Annihilus! Stand down, and you will not be harmed!" commanded Justice Zeno, his bright golden wings sent wisps of energy out into the night sky, shining like a star.

Annihilus peered at the three paladins, and smiled. He began to laugh.

"Justice you honour me in your old age, but no man rules me, not even your ancient gods" Annihilus spoke with pure darkness now, his eyes became black and his teeth became sharp. "I am the nightmare of your enlightened path, or have you forgotten what it means to fall…brother"

With those words, Zeno charged. A bright sword of light cut through the air toward Annihilus. The other paladins followed.

Annihilus smiled and began to unleash his shadows; the darkness wrapped around the sword of light and corrupted it, its color changed from gold to red. The sword stopped mid swing and a hand of darkness emerged, taking hold of the corrupted sword and swung back toward the three paladins, striking Zexis and severing her right wing. Zexis tumbled to the floor of the citadel, rolling and coming to balance on her feet. She stood, and reignited a new wing in its place, she smiled at Annihilus.

"Your light will not save you paladin" Annihilus crackled, sending jets of purple and green energy at the three golden figures all at once. Zeno and Zexis had take shelter from the blasts in the rubble. Ammathel stormed ahead, his sword raised as he came face to face with Annihilus. Their swords crashed off one another, large bursts of energy cascaded off the two swords as their wills clashed in the ether.

"You are strong Ammathel, Seraphim of Truth" Annihilus smiled, their swords locked together, his eyes peered into the paladin.

"Enough of this" Ammathel commanded; his wings coiled inward pushing a large wall of light toward Annihilus, throwing him into the wall. Annihilus bounced off the wall, but his body never hit the ground. In seconds, he had returned to shadows and climbed the wall toward the ceiling. He hovered there, retaking physical form and laughed. Zeno and Zexis had come to Ammathel's side.

_I have secured our arrival in outland; I will close the portal once you're through._

Nirryen's message came echoing through the ether, Annihilus turned toward the portal. His intentions were clear, as the paladins tried to move to intercept him.

Zeno casted a beacon of light around the portal and Annihilus' shadows burned off of him as he tumbling down in front of the portal. He righted and turned to face the paladins. The other two paladins remained in place as Zeno walked forward, his eyes a burning glow of gold and white.

"You are not free to go fallen one" Zeno stated, unsheathing his crystal sword.

Annihilus stared at him, his breath was steady but his energy was waning.

"I am not yours to be commanded light bearer, I chose my path and you are too weak to understand the mysteries of my existence!" Annihilus exhaled, he could see Ammathel grip his sword tighter, readying to strike.

"Do you yield?!" Zeno asked.

"Never, you arrogant fool!" Annihilus crackled, he brought his hands together, and great voids appeared around him, beginning to pull everything in on itself, space and time started to crumble.

"Annihilus! No, it will destroy the city!" Zexis screamed.

"You will yield paladin! Or I will lay waste to your precious city!" Annihilus commanded.

Zeno stepped forward, but Ammathel grabbed his shoulder.

_Let him go, we have many to protect brother._

Zeno nodded, and relinquished his connection to the beacon, letting the citadel fall back into darkness.

Annihilus stilled the black holes that were scattered around the room. The shadows returned around him and his eyes filled with the darkness. Then he spoke.

"I ask for respect and you pass judgment, you ask for my help and you treat me like swine, this will be the last time I follow the convictions of your world, mercy is for the weak Justice, you will not be so lucky next time!"

"We will settle this in time dark one" Zeno replied.

Annihilus didn't hesitate.

"I have found your city, your salvation, and now I take it from you light bearer, we're you so wise to think of others, before you thought of me…I am eternity you fool, and you discard me for my talents" Annihilus crackled, "if any harm comes to Nirryen under your watch again, I will tear the cities you have down, and lay waste to your council"

Ammathel looked with concern to Zeno, whose eyes were transfixed on the powerful warlock that hovered before them.

He peered into the eyes of Annihilus; those eyes that held the great void, an endless eternity of suffering appeared before him.

"How far you have fallen brother" Zeno stated, his eyes never leaving the gaze of Annihilus.

"My fate is mine holy one! Your judgments are pathetic! You are just like me, unable to save those you care for" Annihilus was filled with anger as memories of his past flooded his mind.

"We could not save them, but they are always with y—"Zeno stated, his sentence cut short by the roar of Annihilus.

"You will not speak of them!" Annihilus shouted as he sprouted huge black wings, engulfing the room with streams of green energy, "I, who have spent millennia in the void forgetting your broken promise brother! Your words mean nothing! I gave you my trust; to hold what I held so close and you let them die…"

Zeno did not respond, his eyes flinched as the words hovered through the room.

"Your holiness…in time we will see who makes the rules in this world" Annihilus smirked, turning and passing through the portal, and was gone.

The three paladins stood in the rubble of the citadel, the roof had caved in several places. Zeno turned his head to the sky, saying a prayer. The clouds above him turned dark and lightning flashed, his eyes we're blank. Rain began to fall upon the city, and through the storm, Zeno saw his fate. The darkest night was yet to come…

…

Strither could see the vigil from the cliff side. He had been travelling for three days; his kodo stomped with impatience as he peered into the valley.

"I know Cryst, be patient, only a few more moments" Strither said to the kodo, patting her on the head. Her horns reared with a short grunt, acknowledging his attention. He peered back at the valley, and saw a beam of purple light pierce the sky.

_Bloodlust, you have heeded my call…_

Strither patted his kodo and she started down the path way toward the vigil.

His journey was short, the quiet sands of Silithus made his journey uneventful. He pulled the hood off his head; the cloth in front of his face had collected sand and dust from his journey. He cleared the sand with a spell, and placed it back over his head. He peered through his hood to the black crystal spires that marked the perimeter of the vigil.

The bright purple light had deactivated the defence mechanisms of the spires, allowing him to pass into the interior unchallenged. He stopped his kodo in front of the grand cathedral that stood in the center of the vigil. The cathedral was shrouded in a veil of purple and black light and the lanterns that lit the paths were an emerald green. His kodo became uneasy and began to fret over the energies that passed by him like ghosts. The vigil was a sanctuary for all those alive and dead, his presence as a priest was not appreciated. A wisp of blue energy appeared before him, as a face appeared in the semi-transparent flow of energy that hovered at eye level.

Cold words flowed from its mouth, they were breathless, long and drawn out like the wind.

"Priest of old, your acts of finality are not welcome here… None here wish to find the rest you seek to provide" the wisps circled him, rushing around him in a flurry of power.

"I do not come to put your burdened souls to rest, I come for the council of Saint Bloodlust" Strither returned, remaining vigilant but calm in his demeanour.

"Very well, he will see you now, old one" the wisp shot toward the cathedral doors, ushering him through them. The doors came to a silence shattering slam behind him; as he peered into the dark cathedral. The walls were covered in scorch marks and energy cores. The pews of the cathedral had been removed, and the floor had been reworked. Pits filled the open floor; violet magical domes covered each one.

Strither stood in reserve; he had not seen anything like this before.

"They are casting chambers" Bloodlust's voice broke the silence, appearing out of the shadows. Strither turned and faced him, he remained silent. "They are used to prevent unnecessary damage or disruption to others. You step into one, and you are able to wield any magic's, disciplines, or masteries you desire. All within your own reality"

"The power required to hold such magic's must be enormous" Strither replied, his eyes fixated on the closest chamber to him. The chamber energy crackled, sprouting small sparks onto the floor every so often.

"The chamber itself is just a template, once the user enters, it relies solely on the magical capabilities of the user and therefore, it is always restrained by the potentiality of their abilities. It is a spell I hold great pride in; I have given a safe environment to those that seek to develop their skills, without the destructive nature of exploration and experimentation" He spoke with confidence to the well dressed troll, Strither found it hard not be impressed.

"I am in awe of your abilities friend" Strither turned, staring up at the orc warlock. Strither stood five feet taller than Saint Bloodlust; but Bloodlust was larger in mass. Bloodlust's raiment was embroidered in green and gold strands; his shoulders were plated in fel armour; green hues swirled around the plates, each pulsing with light that created an aura around him. His demeanour was full of wisdom, but a deadly inclination remained. The walls around him hummed with his energy, Strither could see the tethers of the nether flowing out of him and into the walls.

"You're linked to these walls…" Strither began.

"No, to the vigil itself" Bloodlust corrected; "as long as it stands I will continue to exist, in both life and in death"

Strither bowed in respect.

Bloodlust shook his head.

"Your gracious sentiment is unneeded here. It has been a long time since we've seen each other, what brings you to my domain?"

Strither righted, producing a trinket from his robes. He moved to a clean desk on the right of the cathedral and set it down. The trinket began to float an inch off the desk, and began to spin. Suddenly, the trinket formed a hologram of stars around the room, and Strither moved to the brightest star. He reached out and touched it, white light flowed from his hand into the star and then back into his hand. The stars collapsed back in on the trinket, and it transformed into a bright blue flame. The flame grew into a panel, memories and experiences began to play across the transparent flame.

"What are you showing me?" Bloodlust asked, stepping toward the flame panel, inspecting it closely.

Strither turned toward the warlock and smiled.

"The timeline where Venith existed" Strither said, he stepped forward and placed his hand in the flame. The perceptions and memories began to flow outward, becoming more objective. Suddenly a large city came into view, its towers rose high into the sky. Floating gardens and palaces hung over the city, gold energy flowed from the city walls, creating large spikes that pulled the energy of time into the city. It was massive, Bloodlust estimated it was at least five times bigger then Dalaran.

"Venith…it has been lost for thousands of years" Bloodlust stated, "What does this have to do with me?"

"The wasteland is not what we believe it to be" Strither stated, twisting his hand in the flame, and the vision changed. A young high elf appeared; he was standing in the middle of the wasteland, his cloak flapped wildly in front of an arcane tornado. Bloodlust stared in amusement.

_Fool._

The high elf stepped into the arcane tornado and the scene changed instantly, the tornado dissipated around him, wisps of arcane energy fell away. The high elf stepped forward, and the city appeared in front of him.

Bloodlust's eyes widened, he turned to Strither.

"That's impossible, what trickery is this priest!" Bloodlust stammered.

"It is no trick; the bronze Dragonflight made mortals face death to escape time, the city exists outside of time" Strither said, smiling at the revelation he had just bestowed.

Saint Bloodlust's eyes suddenly lit up, his mouth curled into a smile.

"What do you need?" Bloodlust said.

"Your expertise my friend, few rival your power in this place, I'd like to test our resolve beyond this world, and into the eternity that holds the city of unlimited power" Strither smirked. Bloodlust turned to him and smiled.

"Brann Bronzebeard would kill for this information; it is a pity he won't be exploring anymore" Bloodlust let out a chuckle.

"He has been missing for well over a year now" Strither stated without concern, "probably got himself eaten by a hyena in Uldum"

Bloodlust smirked but didn't say anything.

_I taught the stupid dwarf what it means not to trespass in places he's not wanted._

Strither touched the trinket and the blue flame died, he placed it back in his robes and turned to Bloodlust.

"We must make preparations, we have a journey ahead of us" Strither stated.

"Of course, follow me I will show you to your quarters" Bloodlust pointed to door at the front of the cathedral. His mind began to race, the reality of the mission before him had started to sink in.

_The wicked would reign over Azeroth. Intellect and fury as one, with this city the possibilities were limitless._

Bloodlust smirked, his opportunity had shown up on his doorstep; his time had come.

…

His eyes were fixed to the sky, a bright ring of purple and blue energy hung in the air, cascading sparks of light across the horizon.

_Portals…_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He listened to the wind as it ran through the ruins around him. His sanctuary of the old betrayer, how long he had spent in this place, discovering the ancient mysteries Illidan had left behind. The wind spoke to him through the wisps that passed by him. He listened…

_Skylin..._

He opened his eyes in surprise, his eyes glowed a crimson red. He peered behind him and saw the young woman, roughly twenty-one that lay on the reanimated bed spreads, she was sleeping soundly. Her long brown hair fell across the pillows; her body was wrapped in a violet silk sheet and she was clutching a crystal that pulsed with orange energy. He peered back toward the portals in the sky, and stepped farther out on to the balcony. He reached out and touched the air in front of him; a blue grid of energy appeared. He tapped it and it sparked.

_The barrier is fine. How did she find me…?_

The wind answered his question without hesitation.

_Thrall, master of the elements…He assists her… the winds of old speak of your defeat Kaylen, Viceroy of the Nether Valkyries._

He manifested a small crystal orb in his hand, and let it hover up to eye level.

_I have a promise to keep elemental warden; you should understand that…Thrall._

He peered into it; Thrall's face appeared before him in the crystal orb.

The air around him became still and the silence became solid. The wind had disappeared, and a hue of emerald began to fill the room. Thrall was suddenly teleported before him, his orc demeanour was soft; his leather robes were traversed in elemental tomes and trinkets. His eyes were a hue of green and blue that glowed from underneath his hood. Kaylen remained where he stood; his eyes had met Thrall's the moment he appeared.

"Thrall, Master of Elements…it is truly an honour to meet you wise one" Kaylen stated, bowing slightly.

"Viceroy Kaylen" Thrall replied, his eyes scanning the entity before him.

Thrall had been teleported without warning from Shattrath. He stared into the man before him, his energy was nothing like he had ever experienced before. The very fabric that made up his body was not physical, but pure arcane energy.

"You are not mortal" Thrall stated, lowering his hood.

"Immortality isn't all its cracked up to be, warden" Kaylen stated, his voice gave the tone of reflection.

"Why are you here? Why are you not in the astral realms, this is not your plane" Thrall challenged.

"You are correct warden; I am not supposed to be here. But the will of fate seems to have its own ideas of what should be" Kaylen peered back toward the young woman still fast asleep on the bed.

"You have created much pain and suffering by your interference, why have the astral councils allowed this" Thrall asked, peering now at the young woman that lay behind Kaylen.

"Do you understand the laws of universal connection, elemental warden?" Kaylen asked, his eyes were clear and poised with concise articulation, "this is the reason for my being here." He turned to face the young women.

"I do not understand how she has anything to do with your fate, she has no effect on your plane" Thrall assumed, stepping forward.

"Be still, I do not wish to battle you wise one" Kaylen responded to the advancement, his hands raised and tapped the air behind him and a blue grid glittered across the archway and then disappeared.

"Skylin's daughter Trillium, can no longer be your prisoner Viceroy, she will be here and when she does she will bring more fury then either of us can imagine" Thrall returned, stepping back.

"Her daughter is now mine; she took mine and so I have taken hers" Kaylen's voice was filled with confidence and sinister intent. "Your world tears itself apart, piece by piece, even with the destruction of Deathwing; your world has not learned from its mistakes, it has taken everything from me and so I have taken what is mine"

"This is not the way Viceroy" Thrall's rebuttal was swiftly met with Kaylen's spell. A large portal opened and Thrall was pulled into it with Kaylen. The environment around him changed instantly, he was no longer on a balcony in Shadowmoon Valley but was standing on a hill that overlooking many battlefields. Kaylen pointed to Thralls left, toward a village that was being torn apart by the scourge.

"They tore my village apart wise one" Kaylen began. Thrall could see the scourge devouring the blood of the dead, chasing women and children through the blood elf village streets, cutting them down without regard. "There you will see the reason." Thrall saw a young girl barely the age of four running out into the street, her father yelling for her to run from behind. The girl had turned the corner and came face to face with a shrouded necromancer. He raised the little girl into the air, as her father was struck by an arrow in the back and he stumbled. A scourge guard kicked him in the ribs and pinned him to the ground under his plated boots. Thrall could see the little girl still hanging in the air above her father; she screamed for her father as he peered up and reached out.

The necromancer laughed hysterically at the girl hanging before him, he then threw her head first into the stone wall that lined the perimeter of the village. She crumbled at the foot of the wall and the father screamed in agony, crying in hysterics. His green eyes faded completely into black and a red spark ignited within them, his face turned from tears to a sinister blanket of remorseless anger. The scourge on his back was suddenly burned to ashes; his remains flew off in the wind. He ran to his daughter, dropping to his knees and cuddled her in his arms. He watched as the blood from her mouth dripped down the sides of her lips; the moment the blood touched his skin the entire sky darkened and the remaining scourge peered to the skies. The body within his arms became a pure pink energy, dispersing toward the sky. He watched it as it rose into the sky and disappeared. He remained on his knees for a few moments, in moments of grief and despair, then the anger. He stood and turned to see the necromancer that had killed his daughter. His eyes became enflamed in crimson energy, and the necromancer fell back as he tried to retreat.

The father became enraged, and in seconds the entire village was being consumed in fire.

Thrall looked back at Kaylen, his eyes were sad with emotion at what he had just witnessed.

"Me" Kaylen stated; his eyes were stable and content even as he watched the flames begin to engulf the village.

Thrall stepped back from Kaylen.

"The day I met a guardian" Kaylen said, pointing back at the scene that was playing out at the bottom of the hill.

Thrall peered back into the valley, he could see Kaylen pushing flames through the city streets, and consuming scourge as it ran through. Flame tornadoes began to form around Kaylen who was powering an explosive spell with his anger. Kaylen screamed in rage just as he finished collecting all the energy, and in that moment a bright violet light appeared behind him and embraced him. Thrall saw Skylin's figure only for a moment before her wings wrapped around Kaylen and she teleported. The flames dissipated.

Thrall turned to Kaylen his eyes were weary from what he had witnessed.

"She told me I had to let her go…she was wrong" Kaylen's demeanour turned dark.

The energy around them melded back into the balcony within Black Temple. Kaylen turned to speak again but a concussive explosion levelled half the balcony throwing Kaylen and Thrall onto the ground. Thrall shook his head regaining his balance; he peered up to see bright violet wings hovering just off the balcony edge.

Skylin had arrived and her fury was evident. She was here to take back what had been taken.

…

Nirryen was leading Avexis and Annihilus through the shadows of lower city. The merchants and residents didn't noticed there presence. Annihilus had darkened the shadowy corners significantly to remain undetected. Justice Zeno had contacted the Shattrath guards and their patrols were keen in their search. The three slipped through a broken foundation and made their way through the cliff formations. They emerged in Terokkar Forest.

"Where do we go now?" Avexis asked.

Nirryen pointed toward the dark sky and large mountains to the east.

"Black Temple isn't far, we have to make haste; Sky is already there" Nirryen said, looking at Annihilus with concern.

Annihilus didn't like it when Nirryen looked at him like that; it meant she was feeling a great disturbance in her magical field, something he did not have the power to immediately fix. It annoyed him.

He looked toward the mountains and dispersed into a cloud of darkness and began to shoot toward the temple.

Nirryen manifested her nether drake, mounted it and held out her hand to Avexis. She took it and jumped on the onyx dragon, wrapping her hands around Nirryen to secure herself.

"Good?" Nirryen asked; her head turned toward Avexis.

Avexis nodded; in that moment the drake took off and darted toward the temple behind Annihilus.

Nirryen could feel Skylin's energy more and more as each moment passed. As they approached the temple, Nirryen could see a large piece of a balcony that had been blow to pieces and fresh pieces of stone littered the ash layered ground below.

A loud explosion came from the core of the temple, a large area of the temple roof began to glow, spell patterns began to form before the energy powering the incantation blew the stone roof into the sky, and large pieces of stone fell to the ground as molten meteors.

Kaylen's tall crimson wings became visible as he sped out of the hole into the sky; he deflected a stream of arcane missiles that were chasing after him from within the temple.

Nirryen landed on a balcony just outside of the conflict. She jumped down, Annihilus materialized beside her and the two began to sprint into the temple. Avexis followed behind, she could hear the explosions and her heart began to race. She followed Nirryen and Annihilus into the corridors, and came to a large room, where Thrall was struggling to keep the temple from caving in on itself.

"Thrall!" Nirryen yelled, casting a reinforcement spell, allowing Thrall to rest.

"Nirryen get Sky, she's going to pull this place down on top of us all" Thrall stated, "Avexis! Come with me, we need to get Trillium out of here!"

Avexis rushed to Thrall, and the two of them darted into the corridors toward the broken balcony.

Nirryen turned to Annihilus. "Get Kaylen, we need to split them up or their going to destroy one another"

Annihilus nodded.

_This should be fun, an immortal to play with._

_ We can break him, their not all that powerful._

_ Don't underestimate those that share the same type of energy you hold._

_ Enough of your reasoning, let's go._

"Forward" Annihilus stated, dispersing into shadow and chased the beams of light that were lighting up the sky above.

Nirryen casted her wings, bright blue wings sprouted from her back as she launched herself off the balcony into flight. Her focus remained completely on the violet ether that was being channelled toward Skylin.

_The more you pull Sky, the more it's going to hurt._

Suddenly Skylin's voice entered her mind.

_STAY OUT OF THIS NIRRY, HE DIES TODAY!_

Nirryen closed her eyes, and an abstract vision came cascading across her consciousness and she lost her focus, her wings disappeared and she began to fall.

She refocused her mind and her wings sprouted again, she caught herself and glided over the jagged stone on the ground, several strands of her long blonde hair got caught on them and she cursed.

_Sky! You owe me for that one! I just had my hair done!_

Nirryen danced through the air with grace, passing through the large hole in the ceiling and into the battle that was happening above the temple.

She could see Skylin to her right, her wings were bright violet and she was tossing fire balls at Kaylen. Annihilus had already engaged Kaylen. She could see the tendrils of void reaching across the sky at the viceroy, which he broke apart with ease, flames in all directions.

She flew toward Skylin, and caught her off guard. She embraced Skylin and teleported to the ground, freezing her hands to her sides. Skylin's rage melted the ice almost instantly; the arcane flames around her hands had made them flicker with bright light.

"Sister! This is not your battle!" Skylin commanded.

"You can't fight him, he's can't be killed, this is pointless" Nirryen returned, moving between her and the battle that was still going on above them between Annihilus and Kaylen.

"Pointless? The last five years of my life have not been pointless! Now move sister or I will move you myself!" Skylin shouted; her eyes become a pearl white. Nirryen could feel the vast amount of energy that was flowing through Skylin; she knew that it was dangerously close to her threshold.

"Sister, hear reason, you can't hold this power on this plane; it will kill you!" Nirryen returned.

Skylin completely ignored her statement, the ground below Nirryen suddenly became a puddle of arcane energy, and her feet were soaked in it. The energy stung. She couldn't move her feet, as Skylin lifted off.

"SKY! NO!" Nirryen pleaded, watching her friend dart toward the two dark entities. The blast went off as she impacted them both; her arcane explosion had so much concussive force it levelled the remainder of the temple.

Thrall fell as he was carrying Trillium out of the temple. The sleeping enchantment broke as the concussive force threw them all to the ground and the bright blue eyed priest peered at the scene before her. Annihilus had fallen from the sky, landing on the temple ruins. Above him Skylin and Kaylen were at a stand still, each pushing their spells toward one another. Trillium turned and stared into the eyes of Thrall, she could tell he was trying to save her from the destruction. She placed her hands on his back and he was instantly filled with warm healing energy. She peered back to the sky, her back erupted in light and six bright white wings sprouted from her back and she darted toward them like lightning.

The light temporarily blinded both Skylin and Kaylen, and they became encased in golden shields. Trillium hovered before them, her wings brightly shining in all directions.

"Enough of this!" Trillium commanded.

Skylin and Kaylen hovered in place before they began to descend to the ground. Trillium followed them down and came to rest on the grass; her wings winked and then disappeared.

Nirryen had come to Annihilus' aid, helping him stand and move from the ruins. Thrall and Avexis had regrouped and were mending each others wounds in the distance. They could see Skylin's violet wings sparking energy toward the crimson wings as they came to a stand still on the ash covered soil.

The three stood before one another. Skylin's eyes faded back into violet and she collapsed, the energy she held within had finally taken its toll. Trillium dropped to her knees and embraced Sky. She rested Skylin's head in her lap and began to cast incantations.

Kaylen bent down as well, and he looked to Trillium.

"You must come with me" Kaylen stated.

Trillium ignored him, she was trying to keep her focus on her heal but she was unable to keep up with damage that the arcane energy had done. Trillium turned to Kaylen and screamed.

"Save her damn you!"

"No…she brought this upon herself" Kaylen stated without remorse.

"You…she, she…" Trillium couldn't get the words out as she experienced her heals fail.

Skylin's eyes opened and she began to cough up blood. Blood ran down her cheek as she gasped for air. Skylin looked up at Kaylen, and he froze. Her eyes were full of tears and she reached out into his mind.

_You took everything from me…_

Skylin's eyes were beginning to fade, as she looked back at Trillium.

_Run…_

Skylin blinked forward, grabbing Kaylen by the throat and landing on top of him. Her eyes filled with white light as she sent a huge ray of light into Kaylen. The surrounding area vibrated, as spirits began to rise out of the ground. Ten white spirit wolves surrounded the two, and became wisps, creating a large circle of light. Trillium sprawled away from the light, and began to run toward Thrall and Avexis. The others had witnessed the sudden burst of light and Nirryen ran out to grab Trillium. The ground beneath their feet began to break apart as the light started to disintegrate the area.

"TRILL!" Nirryen screamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her close. Thrall planted a spirit link totem which encased the group in a green bubble, in a flash he teleported the group back to Shattrath. They all landed in a heap atop Scryers Tier. As they pulled each other off the ground, they turned toward Shadowmoon Valley. The light could be seen from the balcony they had landed on, the group watched as a large pillar of light appeared.

Skylin held her will to Kaylen's.

_I will never let you hurt anyone again. _

Kaylen couldn't move; his body had begun to break apart. Skylin had begun to merge the arcane energy of his body with her own, funnelling it through into the elemental plain.

Kaylen peered into her violet eyes and spoke.

_To the depths with you goddess…_

Skylin looked him in his eyes and he saw where she was sending him.

Kaylen let out a roar in distress.

Suddenly a loud thundering came from the ground, and a large white wolf appeared over them. The wolf peered into Skylin's eyes, her mouth and robes were drenched in blood, as she let the last of her breath leave her lungs in a long drawn out sigh.

"_Armen_…"

Skylin's body went limp and her eyes became dark.

Armen turned his eyes toward Kaylen and he spoke.

"You will come with me now; together we will fix what has been broken here, I welcome you immortal, to the elemental plane"

Kaylen was suddenly swept up into a vortex of white light and was carried into the sky; the sounds of his screams became lost in the wind. The light pulsed and then disappeared in a flash.

Skylin's body fell slowly from the sky and came to rest on the grass. The last of her energy had been spent, her body broken, and her mind began to go dark. She saw her last thought before the darkness took her.

_Trill…_

…

Justice Zeno heard the cries in the ether; his mind was being filled with pain and sorrow from all who had witnessed the light from Shattrath. He picked up his tome of blessing and began to recite his prayers; single tear drops left his eyes as he recited his verses. His tears fell to the pages, smudging the ink. His mind went numb, so he stopped and set his tome down, placing his hands over his face. His emotions got the best of him, as he began to weep.

_Is there no peace for any of us?_

…

Strither awoke from his sleep abruptly, sweat poured off his brow and chest. He was breathing heavily; the feeling was like an anvil had dropped on his head. His heart pounded quickly within his chest, he could feel it as he attempted to push his long, black dreadlocks from his face. His hair was tangled in his tusks that protruded from his face.

"Damn it…" Strither spat as he lifted himself of the bed and began untangling his hair. He succeeded, and then turned to the long mirror that hung on the wall of his quarters. His bluish skin was drenched in sweat, his eyes were dark, and his hair fell halfway down his back. He was a tall troll; his body was muscular beyond any strength of human or elf, his tusks were tattooed in purple war paint and his body was lined with scars of battles past. He stretched as he peered across the room. The moonlight cascaded across the floor from the large window, creating a silver hue that lit the room. He rubbed his chest, feeling his heart still pounding and his mind wondered.

_What is this all about, what's going on?_

He was in deep thought when he was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door. It broke his train of thought so he proceeded to the door. He opened it to find a young blood elf woman standing there, her robes was torn and her face was covered by her long blonde hair. She didn't look up when he opened the door; she simple stood still in silence. The first thing he noticed was the tears that fell to her feet, splashing off her pointed black boots. Strither remained silent.

"Elder priest" her voice was soft and quiet.

"Yes" Strither replied.

"I am an envoy from Dalaran, I bring news from Justice Zeno" she replied. She tilted her head toward him; her purple eyes peered through her blonde bangs. He could see that they were bloodshot and full of tears.

"What is it young one" Strither stepped forward, and she backed away.

"The word has been given that Skylin, Guardian of the Violet River has died in battle, we seek your expertise in her resurrection ceremony" She said, her eyes fell back to the floor as the words left her lips, she struggled to keep herself composed.

Strither stared in bewilderment at the young girl, unable to bring himself to believe what he had just heard. Skylin had been his mentor, student, and friend; he had fought along side her for many years before the cataclysmic events. He knew her well, it was impossible to think that she had fallen to such a fate.

"How long has it been since this happened?" he exclaimed, a tone of urgency escaped him.

"No more then a day ambassador" she replied.

"I should have been notified sooner, resurrections become impossible after two days; I must take flight!" Strither casted his transfiguration spell and his long red, white and gold robes replaced his undergarments.

"I will create a portal for you Ambassador" the young blood elf spoke, her head lifted and her hair fell back. Her purple eyes were beautiful, they glittered in the moonlight; Strither took a moment in revere of her beauty before the silence was broken.

A shout came from a tall undead warlock who was running toward them.

"Elder priest! Your presence is requested in the Great Cathedral" he called.

"I have no time for this right now, I must depart!" he returned, turning back toward the young woman, "What is your name young one?"

"Lylox, ambassador" she stated

"I wish for you to go to Saint Bloodlust and explain what has happened" he replied.

"Yes ambassador" she looked up at him and gave a weak courageous smile.

"You were her friend…"Strither said.

"She was my teacher when I was only little" she replied, "I always wanted to be like her"

"Then I will do everything in my power to bring her back to us, okay" he smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, "It is time for me to go"

The blood elf began to cast a portal. The energy swell brought warlock and spirit alike to the corridor; they could sense a gateway being opened up.

"What is the meaning of this? There are no portals allowed in the Vigil!" the tall warlock screamed down the hallway at them, "You have compromised our security!"

Saint Bloodlust appeared before them in a wisp of shadows, he peered down the hallway at Lylox and Strither.

"Strither! What are you doing?" Bloodlust exclaimed, turning to face them.

"Lylox, I must go, every moment is precious" Strither expanded a shield around himself.

"Go, I will explain" she replied, giving him a weak smile. As he stepped toward the portal, the chaos bolt hit her. A large hole burned through her chest and she fell to the ground, her eyes dimmed then the light in them went out. Strither's heart screamed in agony as he watched her soul leave her body. His eyes turned back toward Saint Bloodlust; Bloodlust's hands were smouldering from the residual magic.

"Brother! What harm has she caused to warrant your wrath?" Strither commanded.

"She has broken the conditions in which to enter our coven, this Vigil stands as a sanctuary to those that enter, and I will not have them put in jeopardy because of the emotional turmoil of a child!" Bloodlust returned, closing in on the portal. Strither stepped between Bloodlust and the portal.

"I go to the aid of my friend, Lylox did not need to die for this; she was not one of you!" Strither explained.

"Her death is warranted under my command priest! Or have you forgotten where you stand" Bloodlust stated, he stopped and stood ten feet from him. Strither stepped forward, and his demeanour changed completely. He casted a spell of resurrection on Lylox, the blinding light filled the corridor. Lylox slowly opened her eyes, her mouth was full of blood but the hole in her chest was renewed. She was barely conscious when she was suddenly thrown by Strither through the portal she had made.

The blinding light faded and Bloodlust stood before him, the corridor filled with spirits of the dead, all of whom were enraged by the use of divine magic in the Vigil.

"You come here as my friend, but yet you do not respect our ways" Bloodlust exclaimed.

Strither faced Bloodlust, and his eyes became dark. His robes became drenched in purple energy, the robes turned to black velvet, and his shoulders became howling vortexes of dark purple. His hood turned to black and a black halo traced over the edges.

"I know your ways warlock, I am a warden of life and death, perhaps it is you who has forgotten who stands before you" Strither began to walk toward them; purple energy pulsed out from his robes, burning everything it touched. His eyes became enflamed in shadow energy; his hands gave off a hue of deep purple and a silhouette of purple and black wings could be seen through the ether. Strither came to halt just before Bloodlust, and they stared into one another. Strither spoke first.

"I am leaving to save my friend, try and stop me and you will suffer the consequences of my wrath" Strither said, peering at the corridor filled with spirits and warlocks. Bloodlust's patience had run out, the deadly side of his personality yearned to fight.

"Very well…kill him" Bloodlust commanded, the horde of warlocks and spirits charged, sending spells from all directions.

Strither dispersed, becoming pure energy as spells and physical attacks swept through him; he rematerialized unharmed.

The spirits surrounded him and the portal.

Strither laughed, he turned and casted his mind spikes. Purple pikes appeared out of the ether and lashed forward, skewering both spirit and body alike, passing through their foreheads and pinning them to the walls of the corridor. The spirits screamed as the area behind them began to fill with light and they began to become docile in bliss. The warlocks had pikes through various parts of their bodies, chaining them to the walls of the corridor.

Bloodlust sneered; the spike that had been meant for him had ricocheted off his shield.

"Impressive priest" Bloodlust stated.

Strither didn't acknowledge him, he walked toward the portal.

Bloodlust sent a chaos bolt at Strither. The bolt broke through his shield and burned into his arm. Strither didn't flinch, he turned and his eyes turned to a bright purple and his body morphed into a shadow, healing the burn.

_You should be wiser, master of darkness._

He raised his hand and flung Bloodlust from his feet into the corridor wall. Bloodlust bounced off the wall and crumbled onto the floor.

"It is obvious that I misjudged your resolve, your company is no longer requested for the quest to Venith" Strither stated, letting his words hang in the room.

Bloodlust spat blood from his mouth as he lifted himself off the ground. He peered toward Strither, but he only caught sight of his cloak as he disappeared through the portal.

_Coward…_

…

Nirryen slammed the door to her quarters. She punched several holes in the wardrobe before finally blasting it into pieces. She crumbled to the floor, using the footboard of the bed to rest her head. Her eyes were filled with tears, her hair was loosely frayed across her face and down across her shoulders as she sobbed. Her handguards were broken and filled with blood from her violent outbursts. She smeared blood across her face, as she pushed her hair from her eyes. Her conscious was trying to calm her down.

_It will be okay, Strither is on his way._

The feeling that followed those words was like falling. The pit of her stomach dropped, and she felt sick.

_It's just time…hold on._

Nirryen watched the clock tower from where she was sitting, the tower stood just outside her balcony in Shattrath.

_Two days…we only have two days and it's already been a day and half. Where the hell is he!_

Nirryen's anger burst forth again; she threw the balcony chairs out into the sky with her mind and blasted them into confetti with fireballs. She screamed in rage.

The door to her quarters opened. Avexis stepped in slowly.

Nirryen turned swiftly, ready to strike. She realized who it was and she calmed.

"I'm sorry to disrupt your…coping mechanisms" Avexis said, her eyes were dark; it was obvious that she had not slept.

"It's okay, I'm too angry to be alone anyway" Nirryen said, planting herself on her bed.

Avexis moved deeper into the room and leaned herself against the remaining piece of the wardrobe. Avexis spoke softly, and slowly, her mind and body were exhausted.

"What happens if he doesn't get here in time" Avexis asked.

Nirryen turned her face away from Avexis and peered down at the floor. She shook her head. Avexis looked at the ground too, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"He'll be here" Nirryen said, Avexis peered back up at Nirryen and she was looking straight at her. "Strither will be here"

Avexis felt reassured for the first time since the circumstances of the days prior. She nodded.

"Why can't Justice Zeno do the resurrection?" Avexis inquired. Nirryen looked at her with reserve; she really didn't want to talk about this, especially to Sky's sister.

"Did Sky ever tell you about what it means to become a guardian?" Nirryen asked.

Avexis looked back down at the floor.

"She only told me the basics. It was when she was leaving to find Trillium"

"It's an oath. An oath that must be recited in front of the dragon aspects, it swears your life to someone and the protection of them forever" Nirryen explained, "Your sister made an oath to protect Trillium"

"Does that change something?" Avexis asked innocently.

"It changes everything…in front of the dragon aspects her soul was transformed into the purity of balance, both light energy and shadow energy flowed through her equally"

Avexis nodded in understanding.

"Justice Zeno has masteries in the light, but only the light" Nirryen finished.

"Isn't that what is required to bring someone back?" Avexis asked.

Nirryen let out a sigh.

"You're right; a light mastery is what is required to perform resurrections. In your sister's case however, it requires a warden that has proficiencies in both light and shadow masteries to perform a resurrection"

"I assume Strither has those?" Avexis inquired.

"He is the most gifted shadow priest known to Azeroth, his balancing of divine and shadow magic is legendary among the magi councils" Nirryen explained.

"Did he know Sky?" Avexis asked as she sat down on the end of the bed.

Nirryen let out a little laugh, and she smiled back at Avexis.

"What?" Avexis said through a smile.

"Your sister spent the majority of her life with that Troll, they had a gift for politics" Nirryen said as she flicked an ice lance at a picture of Rhonin on the wall, piercing right through his forehead. "Something I never shared"

Avexis smiled and Nirryen continued.

"Strither's work as an ambassador made him a vital asset to the horde; he has quelled many of the differences between the light bearers and the necromancer colonies. He has united many under the banner of the horde"

"But how did Sky know him?" Avexis asked, letting her curiosity flow.

"As Vol'jin's most trusted advisor, he came to Silvermoon looking for formal alliances with the Blood Elves. The trolls were not well liked among the blood elves, rogue factions had taken advantage of the scourge invasion, and many blood elves lost their lives to troll axes." Nirryen replied.

"I remember my mother telling me of these things when I was living in Undercity" Avexis stated.

Nirryen sighed.

"I remember the days when we didn't have to rely on the undead…but I suppose it was where you learned all your tricks" Nirryen said, "you being so young, it made sense that we would use our allies to protect what little legacy we had left" Nirryen confirmed as she sprawled out, stretching herself out on the bed, kicking off her boots. She led a towel from the wash table to the bed with her mind. She snatched it out of the air and wiped her face with it.

"I liked Undercity, it smelt bad but it was home" Avexis said, staring down at the ground.

"Home is where your heart is…"Nirryen said under her breath, her eyes glossed with tears and she looked away.

Avexis had barely heard her. "Sorry?"

"Nothing…your sister met him when he first arrived in Silvermoon, pretty sure she knocked him out with the blunt end of her staff the first time they decided to talk" Nirryen said as she laughed, recalling the memory.

"Sounds like Sky" Avexis said.

"Your sister accompanied him to other factions all over the world, they always found a way to bring peace to the areas that were strained with war" Nirryen said.

"Where were you?" Avexis asked. The question took Nirryen off guard, and she smiled.

"I was around"

Nirryen lifted herself off the bed and strolled to the balcony.

"Your sister and I spent a lot of time on missions, but that's a completely different part of her life, we did very little negotiating in those days" Nirryen flashed her eyes at Avexis.

Avexis smiled weakly and turned away.

Nirryen peered down into the lower city.

_Strither hurry, please._

Avexis turned to leave.

"Avexis" Nirryen stated.

"Yes?" Avexis responded.

"Don't blame your sister for everything she wasn't"

Avexis froze, but she didn't turn around to face Nirryen.

A memory began to form in Avexis mind, but it wasn't hers. Nirryen was projecting a memory into her mind. She could see Skylin sitting with her legs crossed on a rooftop in Eversong Forest. She was dressed in apprentice robes, and her crafted staff with blue ribbons rested beside her. They were overlooking the border to the Ghostlands. The two were young, only in their teens.

"You look like hell" Nirryen said.

"I look like hell, have you seen yourself?" Skylin returned.

"I have and I definitely don't look as tired as you"

"I've been having trouble sleeping lately"

"Where is that orcish wine I bought you, I had to teleport to get that you know"

"God forbid" Skylin chuckled.

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing sister, it's nothing"

Nirryen peered out at the border and then back at Sky.

"You are leaving to be an arcanist next week and you're not sleeping? How much power do you think you're going to be able to funnel with your mind off in space?"

Skylin smiled and looked at the rooftop.

"You always were practical Nirry"

Nirryen smiled and pushed Skylin lightly, causing her to lose her balance.

"Are you afraid?"

"I am; but I know I am. I'm just worried about the possibility of corruption, the stories…"

"You don't look like the type to become a wretched" Nirryen laughed, "Your worries are not likely to happen; your focus is strong. You have great things ahead of you, plus you still have me"

Skylin chuckled, and let out a sigh.

"Yes, Nirryen of the Onyx Waterfall, that's going to be quite the combination"

"Lots of water to play with" Nirryen smiled, tossing an ice lance at fireflies that were dancing in the grass below them.

Skylin laughed. "I don't know what happens from here, but we'll find our way"

"We always do"

There was a long pause as the two peered into the forest.

"Thank you sister" Skylin said.

"Your not that fun to talk to you know that"

"Shut up" Skylin laughed before she pushed Nirryen off the rooftop.

Nirryen laughed, slow falling herself and yelled back toward the rooftop.

"Oh okay, I see how this is"

The memory slowly faded out of Avexis mind and she turned to face Nirryen. Nirryen was still staring out the balcony.

Avexis opened her mouth to speak, but Nirryen filled the silence first.

"She was just like you when she was young, she smiled back then"

Avexis remained quiet.

"She was never consumed by her duty; she always felt so much for everyone, even when she was gone, especially for you"

Nirryen's eyes began to tear up, and Avexis knew it was time to leave. She took one last look at Nirryen who was standing in the gold glow of the sun; it created an aura as the light cascaded from the balcony into the room. She turned and stepped out the door, a thought passed through her mind as she slowly pulled the door shut.

_I wish my heart knew that was true._

…

Annihilus was sitting in the deserted tavern; it had been closed for several hours. He had his feet up on the bar and was leaning on the two legs of his chair. He was nursing his tenth ale and his head had begun to go foggy.

_Alone again…_

He enjoyed drinking; it was the only thing that put the others to rest in his mind. He peered at himself in the mirror, and he chuckled. His body only reflected a skeleton in the glass, his eyes were hollow and his sharp teeth were clearly visible.

_Well aren't I pretty?_

The tavern became warm with life, as Thrall walked through the door. He closed it and locked it, slowly walking toward Annihilus.

"I hope I am not disturbing you" Thrall said graciously.

"Not at all Warchief" Annihilus stated, peering through the shadows.

Thrall thought of correcting him, but refrained.

"You sit alone, why do you not seek council with Nirry?" Thrall asked.

"She sits in earnest for Strither's arrival, she has asked for time alone" Annihilus returned, finishing his drink and refilled his glass. He turned to Thrall and offered a glass. Thrall sighed and sat down beside him. Annihilus took the hint, he pour him a glass and glided the glass across the bar. Thrall picked up the glass and took a sip.

"It's been a long time since I've shared a drink" Thrall admitted.

"You're too busy saving the world half the time Warchief" Annihilus chuckled. Thrall smiled and took the compliment.

"Sky…" Thrall began, but his voice trailed off. Annihilus had taken a rather large gulp from his glass, and his smile faded. Annihilus knew the question before Thrall said anything else.

"She's there" Annihilus said, looking to the ceiling. Thrall sat back in his chair and sighed.

"Show me" Thrall said. Annihilus pulled his feet off the bar and peered at the shaman in disbelief.

"Warchief…" Annihilus stammered.

"Show me Annihilus, she needs to know someone is there for her" Thrall stated with grand authority.

"Very well" Annihilus sighed and reached his hand out. Thrall grasped Annihilus forearm and they locked. Tendrils of shadow began to coil around Thrall's arm and the darkness started to feed into his body, causing his veins to turn black. Thrall breathed and then closed his eyes, the air became cold as ice and the tavern disappeared around them. Thrall opened his eyes to see Annihilus' standing before him. In the void, his appearance had returned to his true form. Annihilus' arm was only bone and his eyes had a pale grey hue within the skull that was shrouded by a black cloak.

Annihilus didn't speak; he simply nodded and pointed his skeleton finger toward a small light in the distance. Thrall let go of his hand and began to make his way toward it.

As he approached, ghouls and ghosts shimmered by him, causing his skin to peel and burn. He had reached the little light that hung like a lantern over top of the young blood elf. It created a shower of light that hung in a circle around her. She was curled into a ball, naked, and holding her legs as close as she could to her body. She shivered in the cold, unable to prevent her stirring. Thrall was overcome with emotion as he peered down at Skylin. Her skin was burned in several places and her eyes were grey, she didn't recognize him as he approached.

She inched away, as he bent down to her level.

"Sky…I am here, it's Thrall"

She peered through him and then buried her head in her hands. She began to shake violently, her body convulsing from the cold.

"Annihilus, what's happening?" Thrall turned and exclaimed.

Annihilus' voice appeared in his head, it was a soft and eerie whisper.

_Time is taking its toll Warchief; she will not survive in this place much longer…_

Thrall knelt down and wrapped his cloak around her, she shivered less but the cloak began to disintegrate around her.

"Skylin, we are coming" Thrall reached out and placed his hand over her. He casted his blessing and stood.

_We must go Warchief; your presence has begun to stir attention of the deep…_

"Very well" Thrall said and he closed his eyes. In a loud crack like thunder, he opened his eyes and had returned to the tavern.

"Annihilus?" Thrall looked around and he was alone.

Annihilus had stayed behind in the void; he peered at Skylin who was shivering under the lantern.

_You will never be the same after this._

A voice filled his head in his surprise, and a white light appeared over him. He peered up and saw bright white wings extend out. He looked back down at her.

_Sky…_

Her voice was soft.

_I know._

Annihilus vanished from the void and left the scene behind, he appeared beside Thrall in the tavern. He picked up the bottle of ale and walked to the door. Thrall watched him go. Annihilus got to the door and spoke.

"Strither has arrived"

He opened the door and walked out into the street.

…

Strither stepped out of the portal onto the terrace of Scryers Tier. He was immediately met by Justice Zeno and Seraphim Ammathel, they bowed in respect. Strither did not bother returning the gesture.

"Gentlemen, Lylox?"

"Taken to quarters, she's fine" Ammathel stated.

"Good, take me to Sky immediately, we have little time" Strither commanded, beginning to walk in their general direction.

"This way" Zeno pointed toward the infirmary. It was a short sprint to the building, Strither did not wait for the others, his troll strides where long and he arrived in the building before them all. Annihilus was waiting in the room where Skylin's body lay. Her bloodied robes had been removed and she was shrouded in a pink gown. Her pink hair was sprawled underneath her and down over the edge of the infirmary bed. The room was dimly lit from the torches that hung on the wall; Strither could see her complexion had begun to fade in color.

_We don't have much time._

Zeno and Ammathel had reached the room, the four men stood for a brief moment in reverence before Strither broke the silence.

"Ammathel, place your tome over her head, Zeno yours at her feet, Annihilus I need you across from me" Strither instructed, the men did as they were told. Zeno's tome hovered several inches over her feet; it glowed gold, twisting and turning in the nether. Ammathel placed a white crystal over her head, and it hovered at the same level as Zeno's. It glowed and sent waves of yellow and silver energy outward like a small star. Strither raised his left hand toward Zeno, and his right to Ammathel, the other men followed his lead, raising their hands to each other, creating a circle.

"Polarity of the divine, polarity of the void, hear my call!" Strither commanded; he burst into shadow form and his eyes became a dark blue. Purple energy erupted from his left hand and began flowing toward Zeno's hand, half way between their hands the energy changed color into gold. Energy passed through Zeno, into Annihilus, then into Ammathel. The energy completed the circle, and Strither began to cast.

"Ether return, ether heal, ether feel, ether be two, ether be one"

A bright pink stream of light descended from the ceiling and began to pour into Skylin's body. The tether began to become brighter and stronger as Strither uttered his mantra. The energy became so powerful; Ammathel and Annihilus began to struggle from the dark energy, it caused immense pain as it passed through them.

"Strither!" Zeno yelled, "She's too deep!"

"Wait!" Strither commanded.

The void began to pour into the pink energy, creating bands of black. Zeno let out a breath, as the void began to disrupt his focus. His will strained as several of his mastery crystals shattered. Strither saw Zeno falter and he caught Annihilus energy to keep the circle bound. Annihilus had beams of light burning holes in his torso, and Ammathel eyes had turned black.

_Come on Sky…_

Strither pulled the energy from Annihilus and Ammathel and it filled the great threshold his will held. The other men were thrown back into the wall; they remained on their hands and knees, struggling to catch a breath. Strither's body burst into pure white light and his wings sprouted from his back. His right wing was pure white light, and his left was black as the darkest night. A large blue spell construct appear over his head, and it descend around him.

"I COMMAND THE NETHER TO FREE HER" Strither commanded, his voice thundered throughout the city. His vision changed from the room, to crystal clear skies; he was now standing in front of the astral council. The council chamber was made of pure crystal; he could see the countless other universes spiralling just outside of the crystal space. Skylin's body floated in front of him, as he pulled his wings together to encompass her, creating the circle once more.

The astral council spoke.

"Messenger of the Ancients, we will grant your request" The voice thundered throughout the chamber.

Pink energy shot straight down from Skylin's body, creating a vision of the void. The pink energy lit the void up, revealing the twisted fragments of disorder. Strither could see a small flame at the bottom of the depths; the pink stream of energy encompassed the flame and pulled it upwards. The pink flame swirled around her body then merged into her chest. Strither looked at the large orbs of light that hovered before him. He nodded to the council and the crystal chamber disappeared. He opened his eyes and he was back in Shattrath. He dropped to the ground and tried to catch his breath. The four men were lying on the ground when Avexis and Nirryen entered the room.

Avexis and Nirryen moved to the table where Skylin lay, peering down at her body that had begun to regain its color.

"Sky?" Avexis asked with anticipation.

Skylin opened her eyes. She blinked once, then twice. She raised her arm and touched her face, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Her thoughts were slow, and her body was stiff, but she knew where she was.

_Home...she was home._

…

Ammathel had moved Skylin to the infirmary recovery quarters. She was soundly asleep in the infirmary bed; he could see her breathing steadily raise the thick purple blanket that was wrapped around her. He turned to the cabinet full of potion supplies, and began pulling multi-coloured jars onto the table.

"Figures we're out of Tiger Lily" Ammathel spat, clearly unimpressed.

_Damn youth stealing supplies for their strength potions._

Ammathel took four jars and put them beside Skylin on her night table. He poured the contents of each into a vial, and casted a mixing spell. The vial contents began to glow a bright sky blue and he poured it into a glass.

There came a knock on the infirmary door and Ammathel moved away from the bed to answer it. He opened it to find an entire group of people waiting on the other side. Trillium and Avexis stood in front of Nirryen, Annihilus was beside her, and Zeno stood in the distance, keeping his eye on the group. Strither stood at the back; his eyes were tired but calm. Ammathel blinked once, and waited.

"Can we see her?" Avexis asked.

Ammathel smiled, and casted a look at Nirryen who put her hands up in the air.

"Wasn't me" she chuckled.

"I would prefer if you guys wait a few hours, I still need to give her medicine for her body, there are some things that magic can't fix, it takes time for the regeneration process to happen" Ammathel smiled through his words, trying to remain optimistic.

The wave of disappointment wasn't as bad as he thought.

"Okay, we'll come back at nightfall" Strither suggested. The girls looked down at the floor, obviously not enthused about waiting until then.

"Come on, lets go you lot, we'll go find something to eat" Zeno stated, "I hear Thrall has invited Hellscream to Shattrath for council, we have much to discuss so we best eat before council begins"

The girls let out a blanket of sighs, and began to move down the corridor with the group. Annihilus walked past Zeno, and gave him a blank stare before stepping away from the group and disappearing down another corridor. Ammathel peered at the rest of the group as they disappeared out into the courtyard. He stepped back into the room and shut the door. As he shut the door, he came face to face with Nirryen. He jumped back, startled.

"Damn it Nirry!" Ammathel gasped, "You scared the hell out of me"

"Well that's better then scaring heaven out of you" she smiled and winked.

He pulled himself together, but his heart was still beating quickly.

"I said…" Ammathel began, but Nirryen walked past him toward Skylin.

"How is she?" Nirryen asked.

"She's in the worst shape of her life but she's alive" Ammathel sighed, returning to his potions.

"How has her recovery been?" Nirryen asked, sitting down beside the bed.

"I healed her internal structure, she had bones broken in almost every part of her body but the internal organs remained in good shape. The energy burned a hole through the back of her throat, which is why she was bleeding so much, so I gave her an elixir earlier for regenerating her tissue. I was about to give her one for her brain, the neural connections were fried from the overload of energy, it's amazing she could even open her eyes" Ammathel explained, he touched her arm and Skylin stirred.

Skylin slowly opened her eyes.

"Sky" Nirryen stated.

Skylin looked toward Nirryen; her neck was stiff so she shifted slightly.

"Hey…" Nirryen said softly.

Skylin opened her mouth but she couldn't speak. Nirryen shot a look at Ammathel, and he shook his head.

"Not yet, she needs to take this" Ammathel replied, holding up the glass that held blue liquid. He put it to her lips and she drank. Ribbons of magic began to form around her head and it became locked in a blue halo. It shown light over her head and Skylin winced.

"It should only hurt for a moment Sky, just try to relax your mind" Ammathel said as he touched her hand. A glow of yellow streamed up her arm and Skylin relaxed as Ammathel's spell alleviated the pain. The blue halo dissipated and Sky blinked twice and then opened her mouth. A small sound came from within but she couldn't form words.

"Time will help with that" Ammathel said, returning the multi-coloured jar to the supplies cabinet.

"Sky its okay, get some rest" Nirryen said, nodding at her.

Skylin blinked in acknowledgement, and then closed her eyes again, falling back into sleep.

"Well she recognizes us, and she's trying to talk, that's more then I can say for other resurrections I've seen" Ammathel said, sitting back down at the infirmary desk. Nirryen moved from Skylin's bed and she closed the drapes around her.

"A lot of them don't say anything after they come back" Nirryen said, she knew about resurrections.

"Not after what they've seen on the other side, the days in the void are years, decades, millennia to them…" Ammathel looked down at his hands; they were scarred from the ritual, "the cost can be great…she was in there a long time"

Ammathel finished his sentence and peered up to the ceiling, subtly looking for a sign.

"Where did you find her" Nirryen asked, sitting down across from Ammathel. She materialized a bottle of pink ale and cracked it open. She manifested two glasses and filled them, handing one to Ammathel.

Ammathel took it without words. He took a long gulp and sat in silence for a moment, his thoughts dark.

"At the bottom…if there is such a thing there" he said, finishing his glass and held it out to be refilled. Nirryen stared at him as she refilled his glass. "Strither had to take it all on his faith in the end, it was killing the rest of us; I've never experienced that deep in the void before"

Nirryen took a sip of her glass, she reached out and touched Ammathel's arm. He gave a weak smile and patted her hand.

"It was like nothing I've ever seen before Nirry, she was so deep; Zeno and I could barely hold onto our will" Ammathel explained, taking another sip of his drink.

"Why though…" Nirryen asked, refilling her glass.

"I don't know, there was nothing to hold onto, I don't know how he got her out of there but it definitely wasn't just us" Ammathel said, finishing his second glass and stood.

"Will she be okay?" Nirryen asked, finishing her glass in one swift motion.

Ammathel moved to his cabinet again and pulled out a vial of purple pedals. He took one out and placed it on his tongue. He offered one to Nirryen but she declined.

"Her body will fully heal, its her mind I'm worried about" Ammathel said, "Just because she's out of that place, doesn't mean we know what she saw or experienced down there, those things don't heal so easily, if ever…"

Nirryen stood and embraced Ammathel. He could feel her body on his; she was warm as she pulled herself close. He could feel her breath on his neck as she rested her forehead on his armour. She remained there a moment, her eyes closed. She stirred then looked up at him.

"Thank you for bringing her back" she whispered to him, planting a light kiss on his cheek. She stepped back from his embrace.

He bowed his head to her. She smiled, and then walked out of the infirmary, closing the door behind her with her mind.

…

Bloodlust slammed his fist through the oak table, the splinters cut into his hand but he failed to notice.

_I will not be disrespected in my own domain!_

A young warlock entered the room, peering at the destruction that was littered throughout the room.

"Warlord, your presence is requested at the gates"

Bloodlust turned and shot a deep, hard look at the young warlock. The young one turned and left without another word. Bloodlust gathered his will and stepped out into the vigil landing. He could see a small envoy waiting at the gates, the surrounding area was black as night.

_Who now?_ He thought as he glided himself across the cobble stone, never touching it with his feet.

The gates lit up as he approached, the spells that had been enchanted between the two crystal pillars sparked and then disappeared. He stared into the darkness; he could see a hooded figure in the midst of it, peering at him with pure orange eyes. The figure stepped forward; the darkness around him jumped as if it were afraid of the entity it hovered around.

A cool whisper passed over the sands and entered his ears.

"_Bloodlust, Warlord of the Vigil…It is I, Deamonik, Reaver of the Black Sands"_

Bloodlust smiled. His brother had been gone for a decade, yet his persona had not changed.

"Brother, you stand before me without ailment, how is this?" Bloodlust asked.

The cool whisper rose in volume and it screeched across the vigil.

"_There are magic's for all things…even those that are cursed for their appetites"_

Bloodlust opened his arms and they embraced.

"Come my brother, we have much to talk about"

Bloodlust ushered him toward the cathedral and the two began to walk there in silence. Bloodlust chest swelled with excitement, his anger subsided and his thoughts were suddenly filled with destructive lust.

_Priest…your days are numbered._

They reached the cathedral and Deamonik turned and faced his brother.

"_I brought a friend"_ Deamonik spoke; his bones snapped and cracked as he pushed his cloak to the side. The undead warlock smiled, the tendons connecting his jaw to the rest of his face strained and several broke as his grin grew.

"Who has accompanied you?" Bloodlust asked, peering out into the horizon.

"_Lady Sylvanas will be here shortly" _His voice cracked as the air passed through his neck and his decayed windpipe.

"The dark lady comes here?" Bloodlust commented, staring up at his cathedral.

"_She does indeed, she has questions about Venith…as do I; you were approached by the one they call Strither, Vol'jin's puppet" _Deamonik remarked, manifesting chairs and table out of bone on the cathedral landing.

"His presence here was brief" Bloodlust chose his words carefully, he was not ready to acknowledge the events that had transpired prior to Deamonik's arrival.

"_What did he have to say" _Deamonik continued as he placed his bone dagger on the table, the blade had a bright green glow, and shallow screams could be heard emanating out of it.

"He showed me how to reach Venith in the wastelands" Bloodlust stated, sitting down across from his brother.

"_Excellent…she approaches" _Deamonik turned to the horizon, a sea of black ravens flew high over the sands of Silithus. Bloodlust deactivated his spell gates, and the murder of ravens fluttered down and they landed on the cobblestone landing. The birds dispersed into a hue of red and black energy and Sylvanas manifested before them. Her armour was black, strapped down and her hood lay overtop of her black hair. Her eyes were a crimson red, and her bow towered behind her, resting comfortably on her back. Her complexion was beautifully smooth, grey and white in hue. She walked toward them, her boots making no sound as she approached.

"Deamonik" Sylvanas stated; she made no attempt at a gesture.

"_Lady Sylvanas how nice of you to join us" _Deamonik commented, his smile was wider then ever. He manifested a chair out of the shadows and held out his hand in attempts to usher her into it.

"I won't be here that long demon" Sylvanas stated coldly.

"_Very well, please enlighten us to your visit"_ Deamonik crackled, peering at the cursed blood elf.

"Is this him?" she asked.

"_Yes, this is my brother Saint Bloodlust, Warlord of the Necromancer Vigil"_ Deamonik cascaded his hand through the air, pointing to his brother. Sylvanas' eyes lit up and she stared at Bloodlust.

"Lady Sylvanas your reputation precedes you" Bloodlust spoke, his face and tone unchanged by her presence.

"Yours does not Warlock, why have I not heard of this place" she stared at Deamonik, clearly unimpressed by his lack of information. Deamonik crackled, but Bloodlust spoke before he did..

"This is my domain, I have hidden it well from the prying eyes of a world of men and women who seek to destroy everything they don't understand. As you can imagine, I am quite misunderstood by those that hold power" Bloodlust stated, confident in his delivery.

"Your logic is sound Warlock" Sylvanas stated, her eyes scaled up the cathedral.

"What is necessary for all men who wish to keep their heads" he smiled as he manifested a cigar, the flames from his shoulder plates provided him his all the fire he needed to light it.

"What has Strither told you of Venith, he will not speak to me" Sylvanas asked, her tone was beginning to become impatient.

"_He showed him how to get there" _Deamonik stated, pulling the cigar from Bloodlust's mouth with his mind; he plucked it out of the air and took a long drag from it. He blew the smoke out in formations that were not humanly possible.

"Then we will go at once" Sylvanas stated, she turned her back on the men sitting at the table.

"No, we have other things to discuss before we depart" Bloodlust stated, looking at Sylvanas.

She turned and her eyes peered through the two men, clearly unimpressed.

"What?" She exclaimed, letting her fury show.

"I require something from you" Bloodlust returned, unaffected by her state.

"You ask something of me Warlock?" she laughed coldly, and continued to stare at them.

Deamonik placed the cigar onto his tongue and put it out. He smiled back at her and with a grin, told her that Bloodlust was serious.

"I do, or you will get no help from me in your search for Venith" Bloodlust stated, his eyes were a burning green, and the vigil became dark.

Sylvanas stood where she was, unafraid of the changing environment.

"What is it?" she commanded.

"Strither…" he said bluntly, his cold eyes made it clear of his intention.

She looked into Bloodlust and she could see his resolve. She turned back toward the horizon.

"Very well" she stated.

"Good" Bloodlust's face turned into a sinister smirk.

_Very good, hahahahaha…_

Deamonik rose from his seat and casted a dark portal, his hands swirled in a circular motion as the shadows created a tunnel. The three stepped into it and with a flash of purple, they disappeared.

…

Thrall welcomed Hellscream, his arm outstretched to greet the battle worn Warchief. Hellscream took his arm and embraced him as brother.

"Thrall it has been many moons since I have seen you" Hellscream stated, sitting himself down at the council table.

"It has been a busy many moons my friend, we have much to discuss" Thrall replied, returning to his seat. The council chamber was lit by a large purple fire that sat in the middle of the room. The table extended into a circle around the fire. The council of Dalaran sat in a line near the entrance to the council chamber. Thrall, Hellscream, Avexis, and Strither sat on the right side of them. Across from them sat the ambassadors from of the Alliance. King Varian Wrynn sat in the center of them; his face was dark and his persona was obvious, he was displeased to be sitting in the same room as the Warchief. The left side of the table remained empty.

"What are we waiting for" King Varian demanded.

Thrall responded with grace.

"We are waiting on the Alexstrasza, she is returning to Shattrath from Eastern Kingdoms"

The king let out a drawn out sigh and sat back in his chair.

_Patience for these murdering dogs…_

The door to the council chambers opened slowly, and Alextrasza's guard entered the room. Her footsteps were heard from down the hall, her heels clicking on the cobblestone. A young woman walked through the door, her armour glimmered in the purple light. Her torso was completely uncovered, and the straps and armour pieces gave off a red and gold glow. Her long red hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes were emerald green. She walked into the room, her head high as she surveyed those that sat at the council table. She didn't say a word as she came to her seat and sat down.

She looked at Thrall and nodded. He nodded back and turned his attention back to the entire council.

"Where is the rest of your horde?" King Varian exclaimed without warning. Hellscream grunted and stood.

"You will not speak unless spoken too, disgusting human" Hellscream boomed, his voice echoed throughout the chamber.

King Varian rose from his seat and pulled his sword. He pointed it at Hellscream who did not waver in his stance.

"Quiet you murderous dog!" King Varian spat.

Alexstrasza sat back in her chair, peering at the ceiling. Her words were graceful but firm.

"When you are done bickering and measuring one another's manhood's I will be here to discuss the terms of our council"

The two men stared at one another, unwilling to sit first.

"Hellscream, sit or I will ask for you too leave" Thrall stated.

Hellscream slowly sat down, unclenching his fist from his sides.

"Ha! Figures Thrall would have you on a leash" King Varian laughed. His voice was suddenly stopped dead as a cold dead hand wrapped around his neck. Annihilus was standing behind him; the shadows came forth into tethers and chained the other alliance hands to the table.

Annihilus slowly turned King Varian's face toward his, and he licked his lips, baring his sharp teeth.

"King of _nothing_…you should watch more carefully and learn to keep your mouth shut" Annihilus hissed at him, "Now sit down or I will make you sit down fool"

Annihilus let him and the others go; the King scowled at him. He turned back to the council and sat down.

Hellscream smirked.

_Pretty sure he just shit his pants…_

Annihilus' voice entered his head for a brief moment.

_He did…_

Hellscream softly chuckled to himself and then returned his gaze to Thrall; who was now standing to speak.

"Now that you all have calmed down" Thrall said with great authority, "We have come to discuss several issues"

"Venith" Strither spoke first; his eyes fell upon the council weakly. His eyes were very tired from the events that had transpired a day before. He looked to Alexstrasza and she smiled at him. "We need to access this city for the sake of refugees that have fled the devastated areas that resulted from Deathwing"

"The Bronze Dragonflight will provide assistance in this matter" Alexstrasza stated, her eyes turning to each one at the table, "they are the creators of the city outside of time, however with our powers now gone, it can only be reached as through mortal means. I have spoken to the dragon council and they have agreed to assist you in any means of accessing it. But be warned, this city is to be used for the temporary stay of refugees until Azeroth has been rebuilt and then it must be vacated"

"Why must we vacate?" Zeno asked curiously.

"Justice, though I understand your desire for exploration and research into the many wonders this city holds, it provides a tactical advantage beyond all others to those that rule over it and therefore it cannot be inhabited beyond the means of our current plight" Alexstrasza returned, her eyes warm with life.

"The dragon council will attempt to destroy it after the refugees have been returned to Azeroth, all negotiations will continue at Dalaran regarding the matters of this world" Alexstrasza finished.

"Destroy it! We can't destroy it!" King Varian yelled, his voice was filled with anger, "Let it be and let those that win the wars of our fathers, let it be our reward!"

Alexstrasza smiled, and she turned her face to King Varian.

"You insult those that sit upon the dragon council human?" Alexstrasza spoke firmly; King Varian didn't budge on his point.

"You can no longer dictate the world of men Alexstrasza, as a mortal now; you hold the same fate as the rest of us"

He spoke with sinister intent in his voice. Her eyes fell to the floor and her voice became soft.

"It is true that I am tied to the fate of your world, but I will not let it become ruins because of the desire for endless war. Venith will be destroyed, it has already been agreed upon by the dragon council"

King Varian sat back in his chair and spat into the fire.

"Foolishness"

"Strither, what do you know of Venith" Hellscream asked, ignoring Varian.

The rest of the council turned to Strither. He peered at them all.

"I have discovered how to access it" Strither replied, his voice remained firm.

"Then what is required priest, speak" Varian commanded.

Strither peered darkly at the human king, his eyes became a dark blue and he began to explain.

"You must face your own death in order to access it" Strither returned, sneering at the human who looked on in fear at the words that had just left his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Thrall asked.

"In the wastelands, there are many things that can end your life, some that have a mind of their own, and others that form naturally" Strither continued, "The ones that form naturally, are the ones we seek to confront"

Alexstrasza turned to her handmaiden, and she spoke soft words into her ear. The handmaiden nodded and quickly left the council chamber.

"Explain what these are Strither" Thrall asked.

"The most common are arcane tornadoes, they are extremely deadly. From what I have witnessed, it is an act of surrender to this nature and through this act; you gain complete access to the city"

"We're just supposed to stand there as an arcane tornado consumes us alive" Jaina spoke for the first time, her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Yes" Strither admitted, "The harder part will be remerging the city into time"

"Sounds like fun" she said, rolling her eyes. Her vision caught the doorway to the chamber and saw Nirryen standing outside of it. She was leaned up against the stone wall across from the doorframe, her hair was let down and her night robes were an elegant red silk.

Jaina turned to the council.

"Excuse me a moment" she said as she got up from her seat. The council continued to discuss Venith as she walked to the doorframe and pushed the door open enough to slip out. She came face to face with Nirryen as she shut the door behind her. Before she could react, she took a cold hard slap across the face. She stood in a daze, her ears were ringing and she stumbled trying to keep her balance. Nirryen hadn't hesitated; she grabbed her by the hair and threw her against the stone wall. Nirryen manifested an ice dagger and held it to her throat. Jaina finally regained her senses and looked down at the blade that was pointed at her throat.

"Move and I'll jam this thing so far into your pretty face, you'll never forget winter came early" Nirryen stated coldly. Jaina nodded. "You got some nerve coming here, after what you did to me"

"Nothing I haven't tried to do before" Jaina smiled through her words, Nirryen put more pressure on the blade and the edge began to cut into her neck. Jaina felt the skin break and straightened herself, trying to relieve the pressure.

"I asked you for a simple thing, and you blow me through a concrete wall and let me fall to my death…explain to me how I'm supposed to get over that" Nirryen spoke with vicious intent.

"You've gotten over worse" Jaina gasped, the blade had begun to dig in now.

"You stupid bitch" Nirryen pulled the blade away and punched Jaina across the face. She fell to her side and Nirryen kicked her in the ribs. Jaina coiled in pain, as she tried to hold herself up. Nirryen grabbed her hair, and smashed her face into the cobblestone. Jaina's face became bloody as she whimpered. "That was for the concrete wall"

"Nirry…" Jaina gasped.

Nirryen smashed her face into the cobblestone again.

"And that's for the plateau I nearly became a corpse upon" Nirryen spat, letting go of her and allowing her to fall onto her side. Jaina gasped for air, her face was full of blood, her nose broken and her eyes black.

Jaina peered up at Nirryen with her blue eyes; they contrasted against the crimson red that filled her face.

"I'm sorry" she wheezed, several of her ribs were broken and putting pressure on her lungs.

"Save your apologies, you never know when you're going to need them" Nirryen stated, she turned and walked down the corridor leaving Jaina on the floor. Jaina watched as Nirryen left, her face was burning and the blood had begun to pool around her head. She lifted herself off the ground and stumbled to her feet. She came around the corner and a guard spotted her. He rushed to her side and helped her walk.

"I need Zeno" she gasped as she collapsed into the guard's arms. The guard raised his voice and yelled.

"GUARD OF SHATTRATH, FETCH JUSTICE ZENO FROM COUNCIL!" he commanded; he carried her to the courtyard just outside of the council chamber. He put her down on the grassy knoll that lined the courtyard. She peered up at the birch trees, their leaves rustled in the wind. She could hear footsteps but didn't have the strength to look in the direction they were coming from. Zeno's face appeared over hers and she smiled. The blood from her teeth and nose had filled her mouth.

"Again Jaina" Zeno smiled, "what would you do if I wasn't around to patch you up every time you and Nirry got into it"

"Probably…be dead" she croaked, her voice was weak.

"Okay, okay, shhhh…I don't want you hurting yourself more. I'll have you right in a moment" he said, beginning to cast his healing spells. She looked up at him; her eyes had begun to heal. She liked it when he focused; it made him look handsome.

_I guess I deserve this one._

She thought as her face returned to normal. She lifted herself off the grass and looked at Zeno.

"Thank you" she smiled.

"Anytime" he smiled back, "now don't get yourself into more trouble, I swear you girls are going to kill each other one of these days"

"We count on it" she returned, raising her eyebrow seductively.

Zeno laughed, helping her to her feet.

"I suppose I've got the right skills for that too" he said.

"You've got lots of other skills I like too, Justice" she pushed herself against him, and kissed him deeply.

He kissed her back and put his arms around her. She pulled back from his lips and placed her head against his chest.

"Sorry about council" she said.

"It's alright, Ammathel will fill me in" he replied, kissing the top of her head.

She smiled and closed her eyes, her energy was drained.

"Common lets get you back to quarters, you can lie down there" he said, ushering her out into the courtyard.

They walked beside one another and disappeared down the street.

…

It was a warm night in Shattrath, the sky was clear and the stars were speckled across the purple and black hues of the nether. The wind blew through the city. The red drapes that hung in the quarters danced gracefully up and down as the gust pasted by. Skylin could see the night sky from her bed. She smiled lightly watching a shooting star beam across the horizon. She turned her head back to her room, the candle that sat at the end of the bed burned endlessly, sending shadows up the walls. She closed her eyes and her mind wandered. Several dark figures began to form in her mind, and they barred their teeth at her. They began to claw at her and darted toward her. She sprung up and opened her eyes.

Her chest was heavy, and her brow was wet with sweat.

_Damn it..._

She rested her head back down on her pillow and tried to close her eyes once more. This time the shadows didn't appear, it was Trillium. She peered at her and reached out to her daughter's hand. The image of Trillium burst in flames as she approached, and Skylin screamed in agony. Her scream brought her guards from the corridor to her room.

"Skylin, are you okay?" The guard asked; his voice was soothing and warm. Skylin turned over and tears fell from her eyes. She was trembling with anxiety, as she curled up into a ball on the bed. She was very cold; as she tried to pull the covers closer to herself.

"Skylin?" the guard asked again, before sticking his head into the room. He saw her curled up on the bed trembling and he immediately came to the chest in front of the bed. He pulled a thick purple blanket from the chest and placed it over top of her. She pulled the blanket close and peered up at the guard who was standing at the side of her bed.

"Thank…you…" her words were shaky, her lips quivered as if she was in a room well below freezing. The guard nodded and then spoke.

"Would you like me to fetch someone for you?" he asked with sincerity. She peered up at him and then down at the floor. Her pride was failing as she began to shake violently and she finally gave into her attempt to dissuade herself from help.

"Annihilus, I need to speak to Annihilus" she blurted out as fast as she could; her eye lids and lips were going blue.

"I will fetch him at once, my lady" he turned and began to jog out the door. His footsteps could be heard for a short time before he exited the corridor. She peered into the corner of the room and an array of faces began to form in the darkness. Some laughed at her and the others simply stared at her. She pulled herself under the covers; her mind struggled to rationalize what was happening. Time seemed to pass so slowly underneath the blanket; she was using all her will to keep her eyes open and her vision clear. As time passed her vision began to blur and the dark began to morph into bugs. They appeared to eat through the blanket and they began to crawl on her. She began to flay underneath the blankets, struggling to free herself, causing her to panic. Suddenly the blankets were thrown off her and she felt a deep cold rush. Annihilus stood over her, she was shaking uncontrollably now.

"Sky…" He crouched down beside the bed to face her, she didn't respond, "Skylin!"

His voice thundered throughout the room, and she froze, her eyes met his and she began to cry. Her sobs came in waves as she tried to pull the covers back over herself. Annihilus helped her. She cuddled herself in the multitude of blankets and she peered up at him with her violet eyes. They were wet from her tears and her hands were trembling as she grasped the blanket in front of her face.

"It's okay Sky, just breathe, they're not real, it just residual void being expelled from you" Annihilus explained. She stared at him and nodded. He could tell she was in pain, the hallucinations were intense, and were very real to her. He reached out to push her pink hair out of her face but stopped. His hands were cold as ice so he refrained.

"I'll go get Nirry, she'll know what to do" he said, standing from his crouched position. He turned to leave and her hand reached out and grabbed his robes. Her grip was strong; he came to dead stop and turned back toward her.

"No…" she said weakly, "I need you to do me a favour"

"Anything Sky, what is it?" he replied

"I need you to get this out of me" she said, her trembling had subsided but her lips were blue and her complexion was white as a ghost.

"I can't, it has to leave by itself; if I interfere it could only make it worse" he explained, crouching back down to eye level. He peered across the mattress at her and her eyes were sad. She closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face from the pain. He looked down at the floor, unable to find the words to comfort her. She buried her face into the mattress and she began to thrash from the hallucinations again.

Annihilus reached out and rubbed her arm. She reacted like a whip; she launched herself off the bed and fell onto the floor. She screamed in agony holding her arm. Annihilus couldn't see anything wrong with it but she held it as if it was bleeding profusely.

"Annihilus! What is happening to me, my arm, my mind, my power" Skylin screamed, she trembled on the floor, her tears flowing out of her now. She tried to flick an ice lance at the wall; the blue energy glowed in her hand then diminished, she sobbed as she tried repeatedly to no avail.

Annihilus had made up his mind; he picked up the blankets and wrapped up the slim blood elf on the floor. He picked her up and began carrying her to the infirmary; she thrashed periodically as he walked out of the room.

"Skylin, it's just me, we're going to get you help, just hold on" Annihilus spoke as softly as he knew how.

_I don't know what to do…_

_ This is not your problem…_

_ Problems, problems, problems, always problems with you…_

_ Listen to yourself, leave the bitch behind…_

_ This is not what we should be doing right now…_

_ How come we never see this side of him, where's our hospitality…_

_Be quiet! ALL OF YOU!_

-The voices in his head became silent-

He carried Skylin to the infirmary and set her down on the bed closest to the window. She peered up at the stars again and she calmed.

Ammathel ran into the room.

"What happened!" he asked urgently.

"She's hallucinating; her body temperature is dropping rapidly and she's super sensitive to everything" Annihilus explained, "I was brought to her room by her guard, when I arrived she was already beside herself"

Ammathel put his hand to her cheek and felt her temperature. He looked up at Annihilus with concern.

"Come we have to warm her up" Ammathel said, he picked up Skylin and carried her to an enclosed room. He set her down on the couch within the room. Annihilus lit fires in every corner of the room and began to heat the air around Skylin with his hands. Her trembling became erratic, and her eyes began to roll to the back of her head. She began to lose consciousness as Annihilus and Ammathel struggled to keep her as warm as possible.

"Skylin! This will pass, just hold on!" Ammathel yelled at her. Her eyes rolled back and forth, she was fighting to keep her eyes open. She could see the two men in front of her but she couldn't hear them. They were commanding her, but she couldn't keep her eyes straight. As her eyes wandered, voices and faces appeared all around her. She felt dizzy and then it all went black. Annihilus caught her as she toppled over unconscious. A dark stream of energy burst forth from her chest and dispersed. Annihilus looked at Ammathel. His eyes were wide; he had never seen this before.

"What the hell was that?" Ammathel yelled in utter confusion.

"I don't know" Annihilus admitted, the two looked at each other and then back down at Skylin whose breathing had returned to normal and the color in her face had returned.

"You don't think things came back with her" Ammathel said, his face was filled with concern.

"No…not with the astral council involved" Annihilus said, Strither had explained the details of her resurrection to him prior to the council meeting.

"Then what was that" Ammathel inquired again.

"I don't know! Damn it, you seraphs are all the same" Annihilus said, pacing the room.

"Your a master in this field, I expect you to know what is going on with this dark energy, or is that too much to ask" Ammathel spat, his anger rose.

"Everything's clear in the light you moron! Dark energy has to tell you what it is! That's why it's dark…"he rebutted.

"Well we need to figure out what is happening to her" Ammathel commanded; his eyes began to glow and his hands became fists.

"And I suppose you're the answer to her prayers right, light bearer" Annihilus hissed at him.

The two began to bicker back and forth; they failed to notice Alexstrasza enter the enclosed room. She cleared her throat and the two men stopped, turning to see the young woman standing there in a crimson robe.

"It is amazing this world remains intact" Alexstrasza spoke with sereneness, "to answer your question light bearer, her soul is purging the imbalances from her body"

Ammathel sat down on the couch opposite to the one Skylin was now sleeping on. He sighed.

"Tomorrow she will go through a light phase; she will purge the excess light energy, returning herself to the balanced guardian. What you experienced tonight was her dark phase, these experiences are not common because they only happen to those that have become guardians, it is even rarer to perform a resurrection on one, but rest assured that this is normal" Alexstrasza explained. She moved to Skylin and crouched to her side; she pushed her long pink hair behind her ear and smiled. She spoke to Skylin as if the men were no longer in the room.

"You have been through a lot my guardian; I remember when I made you one. I remember your oath, your resolve, your strength. It has been a long road since then but know we are all with you Skylin, Guardian of the Violet River"

Alexstrasza kissed her lightly on the forehead and a red glow sent streams of magic around her. Skylin's body relaxed, becoming more comfortable in her sleep, a small smile left her rose coloured lips as she became soothed by Alexstrasza's magic. Alexstrasza rose from her position and turned back to the men who were watching with patience.

"My spell will regulate her temperature, she will be warm, but if anything changes please let me know" she spoke softly; she walked by Annihilus and placed her hand on his arm, "Know that your compassion has been witnessed"

With that, she nodded at Ammathel, who bowed his head in respect.

She left the room, disappearing through the silk drapes that separated the infirmary rooms. The men stood in silence with one another for several minutes, watching Skylin sleep.

Annihilus spoke first.

"What do you have against me anyway?" he asked.

"You really want to get into this now?" Ammathel returned.

"Well considering that Zeno is probably gearing up to have my head on a spike, I would say yes, I want to bring this up now" Annihilus turned cold.

"You nearly killed his wife and you're going to ask why?" Ammathel shot back.

"It'd square things…" Annihilus looked at Ammathel.

"What do you mean?" Ammathel stated, questioning the response of the warlock.

"My brother, your commander…we shared a home once, we shared family" Annihilus spoke without emotion.

"I didn't know that" Ammathel admitted.

"Jaina's sister, Evelyn…" Annihilus froze, his voice began to break but he made no sign of it, "I was on a mission, it was his job to protect my family, my wife…my children"

Annihilus' eyes went dark and his crimson eyes burned a deeper red.

"He did what he could…" Ammathel stated, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Annihilus was in no mood to fight, the memories of his family were too much to bear. He turned toward the paladin, looking at him coldly.

"I came back to my home, to find it burned to the ground, my children and my wife with it, there was nothing left, and he got away with his wife, with his precious Jaina" Annihilus hissed, his anger was evident but he remained where he stood.

_There are no resurrections for those that have no body to return too…_

"He lost his only son!" Ammathel returned, trying to find reason.

"HIS SON DIED TRYING TO SAVE MY FAMILY! DID HE TELL YOU THAT?!" Annihilus' voice rose and the shadows around him jumped. "The only one that had any honour, died with my family that day, while your commander ran like a coward"

Ammathel remained silent; listening to Annihilus was his only option at this point. Annihilus looked to the ceiling, and his voice let out whispers of forsaken prayers…

"My daughters…" he whispered, memories flooded his mind, "And then when it came time to go after those that had taken everything from us, your commander granted forgiveness to them…and he condemned me to this existence for killing them all"

Ammathel turned away, his eyes defeated him. He felt sympathy for the warlock for the first time.

"Easy for him to condemn, he who has his love in his bed every night" Annihilus spat, "I have nothing to lose paladin, not now, not for the rest of eternity, there is no rest for me"

Ammathel turned back to the warlock, his eyes transfixed on his eyes.

"Come forth and try and take me, I will burn your wretched souls to the depths of the abyss before I become a slave to your tainted light" Annihilus hissed; he peered at Skylin one more time. "There are those like her that understand, those that understand pain, sacrifice, family, honour…you have those Seraphim, but you follow other men, men you know nothing about"

Ammathel remained quiet. He listened to the warlock's voice, considering his words carefully. Annihilus began to walk out of the room.

"Annihilus…" Ammathel spoke. Annihilus stopped in the door way, and turned his head to listen. "I will speak to Zeno"

Annihilus spoke without concern.

"Do what you please paladin, you're the one playing his game, not me"

Annihilus walked out of the room and disappeared into a wisp of darkness.

…

"Die you mangy dog!" King Varian yelled as he brought his large gold sword down on one of Garrosh Hellscream's guard. His sword slashed deep into the orc's skull, blood splashed across his face as his eyes went grey. Varian's sword came to the ground with the orc's body, he placed his silver plated boot to the head of the orc he had just cut down and wrenched his sword free. He smiled briefly, before turning his eyes at the courtyard of Shattrath. The square had become a battlefield; the two envoys had met in the square. A young guard of the Alliance had opened fire on the horde envoy without warning, acting as an all out catalyst between the two groups. King Varian rushed toward Hellscream who was cutting down Alliance guards with ease. His huge arms, plated in steel spikes, made him a moving battering ram. Hellscream had just finished off a well armoured knight when King Varian rushed to challenge him.

"YOU FIGHT LIKE SWINE" King Varian yelled; spitting at Hellscream's feet.

"I will have your head this time Varian!" Hellscream commanded, rushing forth with his axe aimed at the King's neck. Varian raised his sword and deflected the axe, causing him to recoil. He rushed forth and brought his sword down on the warchief's arm, the sword bit halfway through the armour and got stuck. Hellscream took the opportunity and threw the King onto the ground. Varian landed on his arm, he could feel the bones of his arm shatter as he made contact with the cobblestone. He whimpered for a moment, before pushing himself up with his other arm. He expected his final breath to come any moment, but it didn't. He peered over at Hellscream, who had been distracted by a number of his banner men that had come to his aid. His face was covered in dirt and blood as he beckoned to his priest.

"Selene!" he screamed, as he pointed to his shattered arm. Selene was his best healer; a stream of golden energy crossed the battle field and wrapped itself around his arm. He could feel only a light pain as his bones reset and his strength regained. He nodded at her, as she casted a large bubble around herself to prevent a wave of arrows from hitting her. He turned his focus back on Hellscream who was now pushing his way through his armoured banner men.

"YOU WANT ME HELLSCREAM! I'M RIGHT HERE!" Varian yelled, his war cry stirred moral of the Alliance, and his soldiers began to push the horde envoy back.

Hellscream pushed himself through the banner men, slicing several Alliance guards into pieces in one swipe. His complexion was dark and his face and body were covered in blood. He rushed Varian and they collided once more. The two exchanged swings, pushing one another back. The two connected and they pushed against one another, coming face to face. Hellscream roared and recoiled, raising his axe to strike. The courtyard became filled with white light, and all the occupants of the courtyard were suddenly grasped in white tendrils and thrown without restraint against the walls of the surrounding buildings. The two groups of warriors and leaders were held beside one another, each unable to move. An old mage teleported into the center of the courtyard, his robes were completely white and his staff stood seven feet tall. The head of the staff glowed like a star.

"THIS IS SHATTRATH! SANCUTUARY OF OUTLAND! RULED AND GOVERNED BY A'DAL! YOU HAVE BROKEN THE SACRED UNITY! I HEARBY BANISH YOU ALL FROM THIS CITY FROM NOW, TO THE END OF ETERNITY!"

The tendrils teleported the envoy's to their home cities and the courtyard became quiet. The old mage stood in the courtyard for several moments; his energies were still swirling around him. Alexstrasza walked out into the courtyard, dead soldiers littered the ground, and blood ran through the cobblestone like a river. She walked through the maze of corpses with ease and came to him.

"It has been a long time since you have taken form" Alexstrasza commented, her eyes remained fixed on the old man.

"Such circumstances should not happen in a place of peace" replied the old man, looking down at the blood that flowed under his feet.

"Do not despair old friend, mortals will be mortals until they hear the call" she glided her fingers over his shoulder, red energy passed over his white robes and twisted together with the white wisps that circulated around his legs.

"For millennia we have watched them destroy one another, for what?" the old man shook his head as he spoke.

"So they understand A'dal" Alexstrasza smiled. A'dal did not return her smile; he peered at her with soft eyes.

"I must return to my origin" he spoke with respect.

"Old friend, I ask for you to stay, I wish to ask for your assistance" she responded with grace. The old man nodded in agreement.

"Skylin will be going through her light phase tomorrow, I could think of no one more capable then your grace to oversee her transition" Alexstrasza explained, bowing her head in reverence.

"I would be honoured life warden" he closed his eyes and bowed his head. She smiled at him and then teleported away in a burst of crimson wisps. A'dal casted a mass resurrection on the bodies of the courtyard, each awoke still enraged and filled with adrenaline from the battle that ended them. They stood slowly realizing they had been brought back, they peered at each other, friend and foe alike unable to find steady footing or sense of direction. A'dal spoke softly to the group.

"Go home; there will be no war on the ground I walk"

The group of soldiers were suddenly teleported away to their home cities, and A'dal was alone. The blood seeped into his soft boots, staining them in black and crimson. He casted a spell clearing his boots completely of the residue and with a flash the cobblestone was returned to its original state. He sat down on a bench that hovered under a large ash tree, taking in the evening air and watching the sunset over the horizon.

_If so many can find it in there hearts to fight, why so few find in their hearts to be still. Is this not what every man wants, the peace and security of his home. To understand she says... only time will tell._

…

Avexis sat outside the infirmary. She was in deep thought, staring off into the horizon that had now filled with stars. The last several days had worn on her; she had gone through every emotion a blood elf could manage. She undid her ponytail and let her amber hair fall down around her shoulders. She pushed her hand through it, pushing it out of her face. She sat back on the sofa, putting her hands in her lap and closed her eyes to try and clear her mind. She sat in silence for about five minutes before she heard the door to the infirmary open. A familiar voice said her name.

"Avexis?" Ammathel spoke quietly, "I do not wish to disturb you"

Avexis opened her eyes and blinked innocently at the paladin, his armour was gone; he only wore a long golden robe. She smiled at him, and shook her head.

"You're not disturbing me" she spoke softly. He came and sat down beside her and let out a drawn out sigh.

"Busy?" she asked.

"Very, I just put this young undead's brain back in his head, he decided to take a swan dive off the balcony because he saw how Annihilus leaves" Ammathel chuckled, shaking his head, "didn't get it quite right"

Avexis smiled for the first time in what felt like months. She snickered lightly, and peered at the exhausted paladin. She took the opportunity to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You doing okay?" he asked politely. She closed her eyes and spoke softly.

"I'm not sure what I am anymore" she admitted.

"This whole thing with your sister, I imagine it's just difficult for her to be back, let alone all of this" he responded kindly.

She lifted her head off his shoulder and turned toward him.

"I don't want to talk about her right now" Avexis stated firmly. Ammathel bowed in respect, understanding the nature of the subject.

"Thank you"

"Are you staying out here all night?" he asked.

Avexis smiled at him. "I love to stay out at night in Dalaran, the streets are always so quiet…but there are too many dangerous Draenei here to sleep out in the open, not like Sunreaver Sanctuary that's for sure"

He peered around, seeing the many Draenei moving from building to building, various groups were performing rituals throughout the night.

"Definitely not home" he said, standing from the bench. He turned and outstretched his hand toward her. "Come I will walk you to your quarters"

Avexis smiled and rose. The two began to walk toward Scryers Tier; they had reached the lift and began to ascend.

Avexis peered out into the dark forest that lined the perimeter of the city.

"I miss Dalaran" she spoke sadly.

Ammathel peered down at the young blood elf.

"We'll be back there soon" Ammathel responded with a smile.

"Everything's complicated here, my sister, Trillium, Annihilus, us…" her voice trailed off.

Ammathel turned to her as the lift came to halt. He grabbed her hand and they walked off the lift toward their personal quarters. They came to the entrance and he stopped.

He bent down and peered at her.

"This is not the way it has to be, not with us at least, we we're planning a life before she came back, that doesn't change anything" Ammathel stated, his eyes glowed softly.

She didn't have the strength to deal with her emotions anymore; she slapped him as hard as she could across the face. He had just cleared his head when she embraced him and kissed him deeply, pushing him back into the wall. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his torso. She began kissing his neck as he carried her into the quarter's corridor. They were not halfway down the hall when Nirryen came out of her room. She stared at the couple before her. Ammathel had Avexis up against the wall; his gold robes were frayed and torn at the shoulder.

_No doubt her doing..._

Avexis' tunic was unbuttoned; Nirryen could see the raven pendent that she had pierced on her bellybutton. Her belts and straps were sliding down her thigh, when her satchel finally fell to the floor. The two broke their embrace and peered around, both realizing Nirryen had entered the corridor.

"Please, don't stop because of me" Nirryen smirked, walking past them.

Ammathel and Avexis laughed at the situation as Nirryen approached the corridor entrance. Ammathel finally carried Avexis into his quarters and yelled out the door way.

"Enjoy your night Nirry!"

Nirryen smiled and shook her head playfully as she walked out onto the terrace. Her thoughts were light, she was happy for those that had found love. She cleared her thoughts of those things and focused.

_Annihilus…_

Annihilus' voice entered her perception.

_Yes Nirry?_

Nirryen smirked as she let her power flow through her.

_Meet me at the tavern…_

Annihilus' glee was evident.

_I'll be there shortly…_

Nirryen casted her wings and shot into the sky, she flew upward for miles, blazing through the clouds with grace and power. She enjoyed her night flights, the camps of hunters and demons could be seen scattered across the landscape. Outland was a dangerous place but a beautiful one in the right light. She hovered for a moment, looking down at the black landscape that was littered with tiny lights. The nether above her, twisted into a variety of colors. She drew a breath and took the arcane energy in, supercharging her abilities. She shot back toward Shattrath like a bolt of lightning, landing in stride in front of the tavern. She opened the doors with her mind and entered the crowded tavern. Her blue aura made her distinct and unique compared to the grey and brown leather armours that many of the lower city guards wore. She scanned the room.

_Upstairs…_

Annihilus' voice drifted across her mind. She moved through the crowd and began climbing the stairs. She saw him sitting at the very end of the balcony, a small green flame sat in front of him on the table. He was dressed in a long black night robe; his eyes had a crimson red glow but seemed softer then usual. He looked up and smiled as she approached.

"Nirry" he spoke with reverence.

"Annihilus" she replied, sitting down in front of him.

"You are happy" Annihilus said through a subtle smile.

"Happier then what I was days ago" she commented, pushing her long blonde hair into a ponytail. She manifested a blue band that held it tight. Annihilus peered over at a couple that was sitting three tables down.

"Such joy does not last" he spoke in respite.

"It lasts as long as it can" Nirryen spoke without reserve.

"Too short, for too many" he replied, carrying the weight of his heart in every word.

"Despite what they say dark one, your going soft" Nirryen manifested drinks for them both. He shook his head and took a long swig from his glass.

"Softness is not my tendency"

"Says the man who burdens his heart with memories of things he cannot change" Nirryen replied with compassion.

"Am I to be content with vengeance for the rest of eternity?" Annihilus' eyes dimmed, his eyes looked deep into her, asking in sincerity.

Nirryen peered at Annihilus, her eyes grew dark and her lively nature faded.

"What do you remember of that day?" she asked, looking over the balcony at the crowd below.

"Rage" he said bluntly finishing his glass, and began pouring another.

"I found you on a cliff side, I begged you to stay" her voice cut through the ambient noise of the crowd like a hot knife. Annihilus remembered the events that had transpired and he sat back in his chair. "You jumped, what is a girl to do"

Her eyes turned back to his, her voice was clear but obviously upset by the memory. She took a sip of her glass and she placed it down beside his and motioned him to refill it. He reached out to grab the bottle and she put an ice spike through his hand, pinning it to the table. He didn't flinch as he pulled his hand off the spike, black liquid ran down the crystal formation as it melted. Nirryen leaned forward.

"Until you feel something for yourself, other then your anger, you will not see a future beyond it" she spoke intently, never leaving his eyes.

The void didn't bother Nirry, she saw into the man, the man that was still trapped. A man that had no answers to the injustices that had taken his life from him. A man looking into the mysteries of everything to find his way back to those he once loved. It was this path that created the monster so many provoked; but in her eyes, he was her friend, her protector, the only man she could ever fully trust.

Nirryen's thoughts flooded her conscious, leaving her feeling scattered. Annihilus looked at her in concern.

"Your thoughts burden you" he stated.

"They are nothing, only old memories" she replied honestly.

"Memories…what torment the ancients have bestowed upon us all" Annihilus spat, finishing his drink and throwing the glass into the wall. It shattered on impact, sending glass shards all over the floor. Several other occupants snorted and laughed at the incident, but became quiet as Annihilus looked toward them with malcontent.

"Must you?" Nirryen asked, clearly impatient.

"Must I? No…I do it because I want too" he sneered, pulling a tome from his robes. He held it out for Nirry to take. She took it and opened it. The pages were purple velvet, and the ink had been smeared from water. She flipped through the destroyed pages and nearly dropped it when she came to the last page.

"Annihilus…where did you find this" she asked in disbelief.

"Your old home, among the ruins of old Silvermoon" he said through a smile. He liked seeing her smile but he'd never admit it.

"My diary" she commented, resting it open in front of her, "I thought it burned the day the invasion took place"

"I found it under the ruins, it had quite the energy signature under all that water and rubble" Annihilus said, trying to sound optimistic.

Her eyes lit up and she grinned earnestly in joy. She flipped through the pages and began reconstructing pages from her memory. She let everything go for a moment and she came over the table and hugged Annihilus. His reaction was nothing short of stunned.

"Thank you" she whispered. He placed his arms around the blood elf awkwardly; it had been years since he had been embraced.

"Your welcome my lady" he nodded as she seated herself across from him again. The two sat with each other in silence for a moment, both taking in the atmosphere. A young voice broke their reverence.

"Nirry?"

Nirryen looked to her left to find Trillium standing there; she was wearing a violet shawl over her blue night robes. Annihilus manifested another chair at the table and ushered her to sit down.

"Thank you" Trillium responded to the invitation. She came and sat down beside them.

"What brings you to the lower city tavern young one?" Annihilus asked, pouring her a glass of liquor and gliding it over to her.

"I was with my mom for most of the day, she told me to go enjoy the city" Trillium responded, looking awkwardly at the drink in front of her. Nirryen smiled at her, and with a whisk of her hand turned the drink into a fruit cocktail.

"I never really liked the straight stuff when I was young" Nirryen replied. Trillium nodded in agreement and she took a sip from the glass.

"Your mother is talking?" Annihilus asked, chuckling lightly at the scene that had just transpired.

"Yes, she sounds a lot better now. Her voice has almost completely returned, but Ammathel was talking about some light purge tomorrow?" Trillium expressed a confused look.

"She is just purging the excess energies she gathered from her resurrection, nothing to be concerned about" Nirryen explained before taking a sip of her drink.

"She's very weak though" Trillium said, her worries still burdening her mind.

"I have known your mother a long time. She has been through more wars then you have lived in years young one, do not fear this purge, it will not be her undoing" Annihilus spoke with revere.

Trillium looked up and felt better, she let her optimism flourish. Nirryen smiled.

"Trill, did you see that cute boy downstairs by the fire?" Nirryen asked playfully.

Annihilus looked over at her and rolled his eyes. Trillium giggled, she pointed at the one she was talking about through the balcony.

"That one?" she asked.

Nirryen laughed and nodded.

Annihilus smiled at them both.

"I'll let you girls roam, I have an issue to take care of" he spoke softly.

Nirryen looked up at him as he stood and her eyes pierced his intentions.

_Zeno…_

She looked back at Trillium and then nodded subtly.

"Trillium, try and get this girl in some trouble, she needs a little excitement in her life, the fun kind" Annihilus said through a smile. He bowed to them and dispersed. From his dispersed state, he plucked Nirryen's hair band from her hair and dropped it in the lap of the boy they had pointed too. He hovered like a ghost over the crowded tavern then darted out the door like a gust of wind.

"Trill, I need to go get my headband, would you like to come?" Nirryen said through a playful smile.

Trillium smiled back, nodding in agreement.

The girls left their seats and travelled into the crowd, the night had only just begun.

…

Lady Sylvanas picked up a skull that sat perched on a plateau of rocks. It crumbled into dust as she examined it, watching as the dust blew through the cliffs that created a stone corridor. She peered out into the expanse and her thoughts became cold with determination. They had reached the entrance to the wastelands, the area was dark and the wisps of arcane energies swirled in the distance. Before them stood a warning, it was a long beige piece of oak, weathered from the storms. It read…

KEEP OUT, DEATH AWAITS ALL THOSE WHO PASS

Deamonik walked up to Sylvanas and stood beside her.

"Such beauty" he hissed, never taking his eyes off the darkness and the swirls of violet and red that echoed across the expanse.

"What do you know of beauty dead man" Lady Sylvanas remarked, pulling her hood over her head and ears.

"Oh beauty itself my lady" he crackled as he peered at the pale blood elf that stood beside him, "it is all beauty when your looking up from the ground, the alternative is to only know the dirt and the never ending darkness"

Lady Sylvanas snorted.

_Amusing…_

Lady Sylvanas turned and peered at the undead warlock, whose eyes were lit by orange orbs, burning like hot suns in his skull. She admired him among many of her creations, he had been an undertaker when he was alive, dealing only in death, and in his death he had found life.

_A creator could not ask more from their creation._

"We must face death this day" she spoke softly.

"Death itself is only a concept, my lady" Deamonik spoke sinisterly, "it requires what all other things require…belief"

"Then it should be no issue for us" Sylvanas stated firmly, "those who have already tasted death"

"You are correct, my lady" Deamonik spoke as he lit the warning on fire with his mind.

The burning pieces of wood lit up the corridor and a variety of creatures stirred from the light. Sylvanas and Deamonik walked back to their camp, there they found Bloodlust levitating over the fire; he sat in meditation drawing energy from the fire beneath him. As they approach he opened his eyes, and black wings sprouted from his back. They coiled around to form a circle around the fire, and then stretched out into the night sky. He hovered away from the fire and came down onto his feet. Sylvanas sat intrigued by the practice.

"Your meditations, what do they accomplish?" she asked bluntly.

Bloodlust closed his eyes and then opened them. Burning flames filled his eyes and then disappeared.

"An endless fire is eternal power, channelling these energies from the fire through me and into the ether creates an expanding threshold of power" he replied informatively.

Sylvanas peered at Deamonik and raised her eye brow.

"My brother is very smart" Deamonik smiled, "he has no lack of knowledge about the art of magic"

Sylvanas bent down and pulled her bow from her back.

"Warlock, I challenge your resolve" Sylvanas directed at Bloodlust. He nodded at her without concern. She pulled back on her the string of her bow and a dark purple arrow appeared perfectly centered within it. She let it fly at Bloodlust, the arrow cut through the air at immeasurable speed. Bloodlust put his hands together and his shoulder plates erupted in orange flames. The air in front of him became still and the arrow slowed, coming to a complete stop just before his face. His focus was intense as he plucked the arrow from the air in front of him and with a long breath; he released it back at Sylvanas. The arrow didn't make it to her, another arrow cut through it completely. It split in half and disappeared as the second arrow travelled without pause toward Bloodlust. He placed his hands up that created an orange barrier and the arrow bounced off it as if it had hit a stone wall.

"Good" she spoke with a trace of respect. She placed her bow on her back and stood at the entrance of their camp.

Bloodlust calmed his mind as he walked to meet Deamonik and Sylvanas at the entrance.

"We leave now" Sylvanas spoke as Bloodlust came to a halt beside her.

"Very well" Deamonik replied, beginning to walk toward the stone corridor. The two warlocks walked ahead of Sylvanas as they walked into the corridor, her silver and black knee high boots sent glimmers of light reflecting off the sand. Her boots crunched the remains of the sign Deamonik had burned down. As they entered the wasteland, the cliffs themselves began to move, large rock elementals rested against the cliff sides, they shifted and stirred as the three dark entities made their way along the corridor. Their whispers could be heard as the wind carried their voices across the expanse.

Deamonik walked on ahead with no concern, he blasted critters along his way, keeping himself entertained. Bloodlust walked in silence, his thoughts were blank. He was only focused on entering the city and the mysteries that he would find. Sylvanas walked behind them, her eyes stared straight ahead, her other senses scanned the area as they walked. She didn't like company, but these men made her feel less inclined to be hard and vigilant, they both carried an elastic tolerance for circumstance. Something that was very rare in Azeroth, many men had stubborn logic and convictions to keep them warm at night. Deamonik had been her secret advisor for years; the formation of the wicked council was something she knew very little about it, he never spoke of it. From what she had gathered over the years, the actual numbers of individuals who sat on the council changed constantly, very few survive the rituals they perform. The only thing for certain was of their resolve to the magic of the void, a seemingly endless pit of residual energies that took masteries of profound discipline…or insanity in order to harness.

_Always have an ace up your sleeve…_

Sylvanas' mouth twisted into a subtle smirk, continuing deeper into the wastelands. They walked for several hours, encountering very few creatures. Deamonik came to halt at the edge of the cliff side and peered out into the valley below.

"Welcome to the wasteland" he spoke darkly.

The landscape was jagged; the cliff they stood on had sharp rocks all the way to bottom of the valley. Onward in the distance, it was an endless desert of grey. Random spots of the landscape were completely pitch black, void space speckled the horizon. Purple and pink energy tornadoes cascaded across the landscape, burning the sand as they danced across the desert.

Bloodlust began to chuckle as he peered out into the wasteland.

_What a forsaken place…_

The group had barely enough time to respond when an energy tornado descended from the sky to their left; it began to throw boulders and debris around like feathers in the wind.

"It is time" Deamonik yelled over the wind, his orange eyes peered into the center of the tornado and he stepped forward into it. The arcane wisp torn his jaw from his mouth, and his body disintegrated instantly. Bloodlust looked at Sylvanas and then stepped forward himself, his armour melted into his skin and then he disappeared as well. Sylvanas stood before the tornado that was growing even more violent. She pulled her hood off and she smiled as she walked casually into the tornado, her bow caught the energy swell and it tore into her shoulder, she barely noticed, her eyes went grey as the energy consumed her. She was suddenly standing only feet from where she had stepped through, except the entire landscape was different. Green grass and lush emerald trees filled the horizon, before her was the largest city she had ever seen. Huge coils of energy hung in the sky, holding a beige barrier up that encompassed the wastelands. She looked through the barrier and she could see a grid of celestial patterns connecting dots all over the galaxy.

_So this explains why the wastelands are so unstable…_

They walked toward the city gates, none spoke. When they reached the gates, a bronze dragonkin sprung to life from stone as they approached the doorway.

"Halt mortals, what is your purpose" the bronze dragonkin spoke from underneath his hood. He stood several feet taller then all of them, even though his robe shrouded his body, his muscular anatomy made it clear that he was powerful. Deamonik spoke first.

"Who are you?" replying without any pleasantries. The dragonkin turned to him; his eyes were vortexes of spinning sand.

"I am Venith, Warden of the Endless City" the dragonkin spoke clearly and without pause.

"Venith…" Sylvanas began, "I am Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, Banshee Queen of the Undead, Ruler of Undercity"

"I know who you are Lady Sylvanas. What is your purpose?" Venith asked again without any emotion.

"Our purpose is exploration of your city and understanding its great secrets"

Venith turn to Bloodlust.

"What is your purpose Saint Bloodlust, Warlord of the Necromancer Vigil?"

Bloodlust stepped forward and spoke.

"My purpose is to understand the great flow of magic that enters this place"

Venith nodded, and turned finally to Deamonik. Before he could speak, Deamonik casted a spell and the dragonkin became wrapped in coils of dark energy.

"I've had enough of explaining" Deamonik spat, pushing the snared Dragonkin over and letting him fall onto the cobblestone. As Deamonik began to walk toward the entrance, Venith's body turned back into stone and then disintegrated into sand. Deamonik beckoned the others to the entrance way, when the gate opened. Before them stood an army of dragonkin lining the cobblestone street that led into the city. Venith walked forward, reassembling his body as he walked toward the group.

"Deamonik, Reaver of the Black Sands what is your purpose?" Venith commanded. Deamonik looked at the army and then at Venith.

"My purpose is to take this city" Deamonik crackled.

Venith turned his back on the group and walked back into the city. The gates behind him began to close, leaving the group standing outside the walls.

"Deamonik! What foolishness is this?" Sylvanas screeched as she flung Deamonik into the stone walls with her a flash of her magic. An arrow formed in her hand as she darted forward, pinning him while holding the arrow to his head.

"My lady, you underestimate me" Deamonik smiled. Sylvanas didn't move, she peered at the undead man in front her; peering into his soul with her deep red eyes. Her gaze was something Deamonik wasn't used too; she rarely kept eye contact with anyone. He peered back at her as he began to feel his bones crack under the force of her strength.

"I will not tolerate foolishness" Sylvanas spoke with sinister and deliberate intent, she was not going to be a victim because of irrationality.

"Very well my lady, what would you have me do?"

"Call Venith and straighten your words" her words cut through the air like daggers. She pulled herself off the warlock and walked toward a small river that ran through the forest. She knelt and began to drink as Deamonik straightened his robes and turned to face the gate once more.

Deamonik peered at Bloodlust, who sat in meditation in front of the grand gates.

"You should not be so calm brother" Deamonik sneered.

Bloodlust did not open his eyes from his meditation. A spirit of crimson flame appeared in front of Bloodlust and began to speak.

"Deamonik, if you learned discipline, we would not have to wait" Bloodlust's spirit spoke with impatience.

"Your desire to play in the astral doesn't make much for conversation" Deamonik stated as approached the stone gate. A dragonkin appeared before him, manifesting out of the sand.

"I come in peace with my company"

The dragonkin stare at him, poised in his nature.

"Your words are your contract"

Deamonik bowed slightly and then walked back to his group. The ground rumbled as the gates of the city opened fully. Gates all through the city began to open; a wave of energy swept through the streets, lighting the streets and the homes of the immortal inhabitants that protected the city.

Sylvanas walked past Venith into the city and peered at the great corridor that led to a large citadel. It was a beaming glass tower, bronze energy circulated through the glass creating an aura of gold throughout the entire city. The lanterns of the city hung in the air, following inhabitants to their destinations. The trees in the city were pure white; they lined the corridors and buildings. A large waterfall sat behind the citadel, it filled a pool of golden gardens and floral groves. Sylvanas had never witnessed such beauty in her life; she decided to sit down near the groves. She watched as the water splashed into the pools, reflecting golden light across the stone walls.

Bloodlust walked to her side and set his staff against the nettle brush. He sat down on the grass and closed his eyes; he could feel the light mist wisp across his face. He remained still, letting himself take the energy of this place in. He smiled as the abundant source of energy tickled his body, his dreams were being heard.

He slowly opened his eyes.

_Soon it will be time to rule…_

…

Skylin rolled onto her stomach and screamed. Beams of white light burned through her robes as she tightened her grip on the headboard of the bed. Her back arched upward as the light intensified. A'dal stood beside the bed, transferring the light that was spilling into the room, back into the ether. Skylin's screams could be heard all throughout the infirmary. Trillium sat with Avexis, Nirryen and Annihilus at the end of the corridor that led to Skylin's room. Annihilus had manifested several chairs for them and they were sitting quietly. Trillium was cuddled beside Avexis; she winced every time she heard her mother scream.

"Its okay, it'll be over soon" Avexis said to Trillium who was trying to keep herself from tears. Nirryen sat across from Annihilus, rolling a ball of ice back and forth over the table. They were having a telepathic conversation, their faces remained expressionless.

_What happened after you left? _Nirryen's voice was soft; he could feel her lips in his head as she spoke.

_I made a stop by the residences…_Annihilus replied, his passengers became aware of his conversation.

_ Nirry nice of you to join us…_

_ What gracious ideas you have Nirry…_

_ Very nice, a memory or two…perhaps…_

Annihilus was pulled into his consciousness, leaving the physical corridor behind. Five men stood before him within the room, they were bloody and deteriorated. They smiled at the skeleton figure as he acclimated to the scene. A bright purple coil of energy sprouted from the floor and attacked all five men at once. They were thrown into the wall and chained to the wall with their mouths gagged from the magical coil. Nirry materialized right behind Annihilus, she walked around in front of him and smiled.

_Much better don't you think?_

_They will not be there long…_

_That is to be expected, now show me what transpired last night._

Annihilus pointed to the ceiling and the entire room changed. It became the Shattrath residences, and Nirryen watched the memory play out.

Annihilus had rematerialized from his flight and came to rest on a residence balcony. He had sat down at the table, and had waited. He could hear the sounds of love making in the attached room, Jaina's moans could be heard clearly. Annihilus sat and watched the sunset, his mind completely dismissing the sounds of lovers. He waited till he could hear movement before pushing a stack of books onto the floor. Zeno ran out on the balcony in his night robes, they were a dark orange, embroidered with gold. His face was bewildered by the intrusion.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zeno commanded, launching the chairs between him and Annihilus out of his way. He reached Annihilus and attempted to grab his robes. Annihilus stood quickly, intercepting his arm and grabbed the paladin by the throat. He adjusted his grip as he spoke.

"You and I have some unfinished business"

Jaina walked out onto the balcony unaware of what was transpiring. She was clad in only a silver night gown, contrasting her blonde hair which fell loosely around her shoulders. She peered up to see Annihilus holding Zeno by the neck. Annihilus met her gaze over Zeno's shoulder and they stared at one other for only a moment. Jaina darted toward them but before she could reach, Annihilus swept Zeno away with him into the night, becoming a cloud of darkness that sped off into Terokkar Forest. Annihilus could hear Jaina calling for her guard as he left the city limits. He came to a mountain just before Hellfire Peninsula and dropped Zeno on his stomach atop the summit. Annihilus materialized fully as Zeno got to his feet.

"Why have you brought me all the way out here" Zeno asked bitterly.

"So that we may have some time to speak without interruptions"

"I don't need to speak to you, you nearly murdered my wife" Zeno spat; casting his armour spell and became clad in full gold plate, his sword materialized in his hand and he gripped it firmly.

"You brought me back; you took responsibility and you can't even look me in the eye" Annihilus pushed his cape out from around his feet and began to circle the paladin.

"I brought you back at the request of Nirry, you stubborn fool. Jumping from a cliff side because of your family, what would she think…?"

Annihilus peered at him coldly.

"She thinks nothing because of you! My family is dead, my wife is dead, my daughters slaughtered like swine, and you sit perched upon your convictions like a hero" Annihilus spit at Zeno's feet.

"I held the line as the elementals burned our homes to the ground…Ragnaros had to be stopped or the entire grove would have been destroyed" Zeno tried to explain.

"He was not your mission; he was not your responsibility! You let his fire lords' rape and burn families as you ran off for glory" Annihilus eyes were engulfed in green flames now, his anger rising.

"Your family was not the only family to be burned alive! You know what I say is true, we didn't have a choice but to move!"

"Your son knew what was right, your son had honour. He fought to the very end trying to protect those you abandoned. My wife…an earth warden, you knew she was not trained to fight the eternal flames, you knew my daughters were defenceless against an onslaught, and you left them behind!" Annihilus' memories had begun to pour into his mind, the millennia that he had spent in the void suddenly made him feel like he was falling again.

"I lost my only son that day brother, I am not without loss!" Zeno pleaded.

"But yet you condemn me to this existence, you watched as I darkened the flames of the fire colonies, I extinguished the very flames that burned our world down. You cursed me for it; you condemned me and exiled me from our family, from what was left of it."

"It was not the way" Zeno spoke with reserve.

"You know nothing of sacrifice, of vengeance, of justice…" Annihilus spit at Zeno's feet again.

"I know enough of pain" Zeno stated firmly.

"Was it pain you felt moments ago, as she pushed her body against yours? Equals brother, I think not. I am a monster, a ghost, a nightmare to children, an outcast of our world, an enemy of the light" Annihilus rushed forward and swept Zeno off his feet. Zeno landed on his back hard and Annihilus placed his left foot on his chest and bent down. "I am not your brother anymore, your brother died with his family"

Zeno peered up at Annihilus and sighed.

"I have finished talking to a man who does not wish to see truth"

Annihilus dug his spike heel into his chest, applying pressure as it broke the skin. Zeno didn't flinch.

"You're wrong, I know truth, more then you can imagine paladin" he said as he pulled his heel from his chest and walked to the edge of the summit.

"Then your actions would not burden our family if that was true!" Zeno got up, a brief wave of his hand and the hole in his chest healed.

"You have no idea; you have no idea what I am! You have no idea what I've had to endure! You have no idea what it feels like to not know who you are! What you are!" Annihilus sent a blast of black energy at Zeno, launching him off his feet and onto his back again. Annihilus walked over to him again, and peered down at the paladin.

"I came to help you, I came to show you something after all these years, but your bitch of a wife still doesn't respect the only thing that keeps me here."

"Nirry"

"She is why I hurt others, and why I will continue to hurt anyone that attempts to take her. I will not let what happened to my family, happen to her" Annihilus bent down and came very close to Zeno's face. "I will tear the very fabric of your world to pieces before I let anything happen to her, she is all I have left"

The void was cold on Zeno's body, as the warlock peered at the paladin.

"She will not be harmed" Zeno stated.

"Petty promises, coming from a man that does not know the meaning of keeping his word…do you know why I remain with her?" Annihilus spoke without remorse.

"She helped bring you back"

"No paladin, she was the only one that could look me in the eyes after all that time in the void; she was the only one that would hold my hand as my body burned from the inside out; she was the only one who cared enough"

Zeno peered out over the horizon and could see gold wings heading toward them. Annihilus peered up and saw them as well.

"I will not be subjected to your rules, nor will I be a prisoner in any faculty to you or Jaina, you leave me alone and I will not harm your banner. If you break this promise…"

"A promise already broken" Zeno commanded as he burst forth in a flash of light. Annihilus was thrown back into the walls of the summit, and hit the ground hard. Zeno stood before him, glowing in gold and white light.

"I will not have you hurting anyone anymore Annihilus" Zeno spoke, his sword became raised and he moved to strike.

Annihilus began to laugh, his eyes became a crimson red and he dispersed into a cloud of darkness. Zeno sent a blinding light toward Annihilus, burning the darkness off his body, Annihilus pushed back and the darkness began to retake the light, creating vortexes of energy spinning off in all directions.

Annihilus turned and saw three other paladins descend upon the summit. He manifested a spear made of shadows and began attacking all four paladins at once; he casted spells in between his strikes, causing the paladins to retreat defensively. Annihilus twirled his spear across his back and smashed one of the paladins in the face, knocking him unconscious. He turned and faced the other three that had grouped together. Zeno rushed forward and clashed with his spear. Annihilus casted his howl of terror and the entire summit became void, they all began to fall. The three paladins casted there wings as Annihilus slipped through the shadows completely transparent to the environment. Annihilus manifested several demons from the void, a large snake coiled around the paladin on the left, tearing his wings off and causing him to plummet deeper into the void. Zeno let out an enchantment and a gold tether pulled the paladin from the depths. A beacon of white light appeared before the three paladins and the void disappeared. Annihilus sat perched atop the summit peak, staring down at the remaining foes.

"You will be held accountable for your transgressions Annihilus!" Zeno yelled toward the peak.

"Your judgement day approaches, justice of the light" Annihilus hissed before disappearing into the night.

The memory faded out and Nirryen looked at Annihilus who was peering at the men still chained to the wall. She placed her hand around his and gripped it lightly. His heart felt warm again, but he wasn't sure if it was just a memory or if he was truly feeling. She faded out of his consciousness and the corridor came back into view. Trillium had walked to the end of the hall and was peering into the room that Skylin was in. Her screams had stopped and the sound of enchantments could be heard. Avexis was resting her head on her knees, curled up on the sofa. He peered across the table at Nirry and she smiled briefly.

"Shall we go see her?" Nirryen asked Annihilus.

"Yes we should, Avexis?" Annihilus asked as he rose out of his chair.

"I'm good for now"

Annihilus nodded and then began walking toward Trillium; she was watching A'dal perform his enchantments. Nirryen and Annihilus walked through the door with Trillium; they could see Skylin sitting up in her bed. A white sheet was wrapped around her, and she was meditating to the enchantment. Annihilus peered at the room; the ceiling was scorched and Skylin's clothes were in tatters all over the floor. A'dal finished his enchantment and bowed.

"We are complete guardian; I am pleased to see you in such strong health"

Skylin opened her eyes slowly and smiled. She nodded at him and he disappeared with a flash of white light. Alexstrasza walked to side of the bed and picked up Sky's hand, she raised it and kissed it softly.

"I am pleased to see you well again" Her kiss caused an array of crimson magic to scale up Skylin's arm. Skylin let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Lady Alexstrasza"

Alexstrasza bowed and then walked out of the room with her guard. Trillium crawled into the bed beside Skylin and cuddled into her. Skylin wrapped her arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Trillium closed her eyes and began to doze off. Nirryen sat at the end of the bed and Annihilus stood by the window.

"How are you feeling?" Nirryen asked.

"Better then what I was" Skylin replied softly, her voice was still coarse and weak.

"You had quite the journey" Annihilus chuckled.

Skylin smiled as she peered at him, her violet eyes were tired and dried tears gave her face a glossy complexion.

"I'm sorry Nirry" Skylin ran her hand out toward the end of the bed.

Nirryen met her hand half way and she held it.

"It's okay, you just owe me a new pair of boots" Nirry smiled playfully.

Skylin began to laugh, stirring Trillium from her slumber.

"I'm sorry Trill"

"It's okay, I'm just glad your okay" Trillium whispered through a yawn.

"Me too…okay its time for you to get some sleep I know you're tired" Skylin said, pulling the pillows from underneath her and placed them under Trillium's head. She pushed her self off the bed, pulling the sheet with her. She peered down at her daughter and placed the blanket at the end of the bed over her. She bent down and kissed her softly as she pushed her brown hair out of her face and over her ear.

"Sweet dreams beautiful" Sky whispered. She turned and peered down at the sheet wrapped around her self. "I suppose I'm going to need something more then a sheet to wear"

"It looks good on you" Annihilus chuckled, his eyes expressed interest.

"Men…" Skylin laughed, she came to the window and began pushing him out of the room. He playfully tried to stop her but let her prevail in the end; she shut the door as soon as he was outside the frame. Nirryen sat silently as Skylin got dressed. She put on a blue tunic and a pair of frostweave pants; she came and sat down beside Nirry on the bed as she tied up her knee high boots.

"Sky?" Nirryen began, her smile fading.

"I know Nirry, nothing happened down there" Skylin returned, answering her question.

"Good, I know that's not always the case"

"It was not fun, I don't suggest you take a turn" Skylin smiled, hugging her friend, "Thank you for trying to stop me, I know I was foolish"

"I look at her" Nirry peered down at Trillium, "And I think if that was my girl, I would have done the same…"

"Except Annihilus probably would have destroyed a few cities in pursuit"

"That we can be sure of" Nirryen let out a faint laugh, beckoning the door open with her mind; Annihilus strolled back into the room and saw the two women sitting on the end of the bed.

"Do you have the strength for council?" Annihilus asked.

"I do, who is at council" Skylin asked.

"Emissary's from the dragon council have arrived, they wish to speak of Venith" Annihilus replied.

"Very well, I will meet you all in the council chambers in a few minutes; I'd like to spend sometime with my daughter"

"We will leave you now then, Nirry?" Annihilus beckoned. Nirryen hugged Skylin and then got up and walked out of the room with Annihilus, the door made a soft click as it closed. Skylin sat in the room, watching her daughter sleep. She put her hair up into a bun, before lying herself down beside her daughter.

"Trill…" She whispered.

Trillium slowly opened her eyes, and blinked as she peered around the empty room.

"Where'd everybody go?"

"They had to go to council"

"Oh" Trillium said, letting her head fall back into the pillow.

"Are you okay?" Skylin asked.

"Of course I am, I want you to be okay" Trillium replied.

"I'm more then okay, I have you"

"I don't look the same to you"

"Well, it's been a long time since I've seen you; you've grown up"

Trillium blushed; she was not used to talking to her mother.

"You spent five years looking, how did you find me?"

"Thrall helped me, he found you in the ruins"

"Kaylen…he took care of me" Trillium buried her face in the pillow as she said his name.

"I know, I know he did" Skylin's words fell in volume as her heart grew cold thinking about the man.

"I tried to escape a couple of times but the barrier was too strong, I really did miss you" Trillium cuddled closer to Skylin.

"I missed you more then anything" Skylin put her arms around her daughter and kissed the top of her head again.

"We're both safe now, together"

"Yes we are" Skylin tucked the blanket closer to Trillium and spent the next half an hour lying beside her. Trillium had fallen into a deep sleep when Skylin decided to leave for council. She closed the door as quietly as she could, and turned to the guards.

"No one get through this door, do you understand me?"

"Yes General Skylin" the taller of the two guards responded.

"Good" Skylin placed an enchantment on the door, sealing it with the same lock as she had put on the window before she had left.

She walked through the corridor out into the courtyard. She had not walked since her resurrection; her steps were shaky as her heels clicked along the cobblestone. She walked through the city, the hustle of the crowds pushed by her as the market went about its daily routine. She walked into the citadel, where council was taking place. She came through the door to see a group of emissary's sitting around a table with Thrall, Strither and Alexstrasza. Avexis sat at the table patiently waiting for the council to begin; she was speaking to Ammathel who was seated beside her. The room fell silent as she entered the council chambers. Thrall walked to her side and smiled.

"It is nice to see you walking" Thrall commented with spirit and enthusiasm. His hand ushered her to a seat at the table. Avexis and Ammathel watched Skylin sit down, bringing their conversation to a close. Strither walked by Skylin and nudged her chair, signalling he was glad to see her. Strither sat down on her right, Alexstrasza sat to the right of him. Thrall sat to her left, several chairs remained empty between him and Avexis. Justice Zeno walked through the council doors with Jaina at his side; they took their place beside Thrall. The dragon emissary's sat on the opposite side of the table.

"Introductions are in order I believe" Thrall spoke in authority. A young man, dressed in bronze robes rose and spoke first. His shoulder plates were hourglasses, magical sands swirled within them. His crown was a circlet of bronze and gold, twisted into feathers that ran fully around his head and down the back of his neck.

"I am Terann, emissary of the Bronze Dragonflight, ambassador of Norzdormu"

The council nodded, and he returned to his seat. A young woman whose eyes were a glittering turquoise stood and she smiled at them all. Her teeth were pearl white, and her complexion was perfectly smooth. Her robes were form fitted, wrapping all the way around her physic to the floor. The robes looked like a glittering pool of water and it could be seen when she moved, the light would reflect off the fabric in a way that changed the hue. Her shoulder armour was made of eternal ice, crystal spikes formed around her neck like a collar. A blue tiara sat perched on her head, woven into her sky blue hair.

"I am Ava, emissary of the Blue Dragonflight, ambassador of Kalecgos. I thank you for your council"

She bowed elegantly and then returned to her seat. Alexstrasza stood beside Ysera; she had come to council herself. Alexstrasza spoke with grace.

"My sister has come to assist us, Ysera needs no introduction"

Ysera remained silent as she peered around at the rest of the council. Her eyes were a deep emerald, matching her hair that fell across her shoulders. Her attire was similar to Alexstrasza's, except it emanated an emerald glow. Her torso was completely uncovered, her breast plate ran along her shoulders and down her back, the metal was so light and flexible that it was skin tight. Her shoulders were elegantly decorated in feathers and leaves; they flourished and withered as the emerald magic danced along its edges.

"My sister of the Emerald Dragonflight, has news regarding Venith"

Ysera stood, stepping away from her chair and casted a spell on the table, creating a hologram of the wastelands. Her voice was warm, but a distinct power sat behind her words.

"The wastelands were entered two days ago by Sylvanas and two warlocks, they're destination is Venith"

The council listened intently.

"Has anyone spoken to Sylvanas?" Thrall asked.

The council remained silent.

"It is most likely Saint Bloodlust and his brother" Strither replied to Thrall, trying to provide some insight to the situation.

"His brother…I thought his brother was dead?" Ammathel responded.

"No, his brother has been an undead mercenary for Sylvanas for many years, it is likely that he heard of my quest from his spies" Strither turned to Ysera, "have they entered Venith?"

"My sisters could not confirm it, we do not enter the wastelands; the electrical fields are extremely dangerous to fly through"

Strither shook his head.

"This is my doing; I spoke to Bloodlust about how to enter Venith, if they have entered the city…it could only be a matter of time before they figure out how to close the portals to it, bringing it into their full control"

Thrall shook his head at Strither.

"This is not your fault; I expect better from Sylvanas, her agenda is not clear. As for the two other warlocks, I know Deamonik personally; he is a dangerous man, a man of consequence"

"We must make haste to reach the portals before Deamonik gains complete control over the city, it is our only chance to provide the relief that is needed for this world" Zeno spoke with concern.

Thrall's thoughts became dark; he realized what this could mean.

"I realize that Justice, but now it is uncertain whether the portal is even open, we could be walking in to our deaths"

"This task must be undertaken, we cannot allow that city to remerge into time beyond our control; it is far too dangerous" Avexis stated.

"Avexis is right; if the council permits I will take a party to the wastelands and determine the fate of the city" Skylin replied in support of action.

"Skylin, you have been through much in the passing days" Zeno began, before being cut off.

"Justice I am aware of the things that have come to pass, I appreciate your concern but my resolve does not require your questioning"

Zeno nodded at Skylin in respect.

"I will accompany you guardian" Strither said as he stood.

"As will I" Thrall thundered.

"I wish to accompany you as well" Ava spoke with earnest.

Avexis sat silently with Ammathel.

"Avexis, Ammathel, will you stay with Trillium?" Skylin asked. Avexis didn't respond; she ignored what her sister had said. Ammathel spoke up in her place.

"We will, we will keep her safe until you return"

Avexis rose from her seat and left the council chambers without a word, her thoughts were filled with disdain.

_Always leaving…how typical of you._

Skylin watched her sister go, her heart dropped as the door slammed shut.

"Nirryen and Annihilus will be accompanying us as well, I propose a departure at sunrise" Strither relayed, patting Skylin's hand that had turned into a fist.

"That is agreeable" Thrall spoke, "I will bring this council to close, all be safe in their travels and may the astral bring you strength"

The council began to disperse, as smaller conversations ensued. Skylin and Strither walked together out of the council chamber. They walked to the groves and sat with each other overlooking the small ponds full of bright yellow fish.

"She is not taking your return well" Strither spoke with reverence as he cracked open a shellfish and inspected the pearl within.

"Her anger is justified, my duty has become my undoing" Skylin remarked, retightening her boots.

"Your duty serves you well; you have been a great asset to the conflicts, and negotiations of our world"

Skylin snorted, shaking her head in distaste.

"A world that has lost so much, it remains broken beyond repair"

Strither handed her the pearl from the shellfish and smiled.

"You're hard on the outside, but inside your glimmering ray of hope for many"

"It provides me no comfort as my sister condemns me to the depths once more"

"Her despair is not far from what you have felt for Trillium, she lost her sister, she was very young when you left, you are not going to fix five years in a moon cycle" Strither straightened his back and ran his hand through his dreadlocks.

"Your wisdom annoys me, you know that" Skylin remarked, sending turquoise jets of light into the sky.

"It's kept us alive more times then I can count" Strither returned, chuckling as he casted gold jets into the sky that twisted with hers.

"She will hate me for all of this"

"Avexis will find her way through all of this, just as you have"

"Then why do I feel this way?"

"Because you just spent the last five years chasing a ghost of a man, then were killed, resurrected and rebalanced…I'm not sure how you're supposed to feel at all" Strither gave her an awkward look, "by the way, you were a pain in the ass to get back here"

"I am difficult"

"Of that I have no doubt" Strither laughed.

"I need your assistance, I need you to explain the resurrection to Trillium; she has been worried"

"But wouldn't you be bett—" Strither spoke before being cut off.

"No, she needs to hear it from the person who did it; she thinks I'm leaving things out"

"Are you?"

"It is just the void ambassador"

"That's my point, are you telling her the truth, did you see nothing?"

"I saw more then I wanted to see, let's leave it at that"

Strither became silent, his eyes became soft.

"I will speak to her"

"Thank you"

The two sat for a while longer, admiring the sunset that was beaming through the forest. The journey to Venith began at sunrise; the two said their goodbyes as night fell. The morning brought new challenges and a place none of them had experienced before.

…

Ammathel found Avexis sitting in the shower of his quarters. She had wrapped her arms around her legs, as she rested her head against the back of the tub. The water was cascading across the perimeter of the basin, creating a barrier of water all around her; the area where she sat was full of mist. Ammathel came into the room and bent down beside the tub.

"You okay?"

Avexis sat silently as she peered at him through the falling water. She turned away from him, resting her head in the opposite direction. Ammathel shook his head as he stood and walked out of the washroom. He sat down on the bed and began reading a tome that had been sitting on his night table. He had only read the first several pages before there was a knock at the door. Ammathel peered out the window.

_Still dark, who could it be?_

He peeled himself of the bed and went to the door. He opened the door slightly and peered out into the corridor. Skylin stood at the door; the areas around her eyes were dark but the violet pigment in her eyes shimmered in the dimly lit corridor. Her hair was put down and she wore a simple cloak around her tunic.

"Sky" Ammathel said in surprise.

"Ammathel, I apologize for coming to you so late"

"It is of no consequence; I just returned to my room moments ago, what can I do for you?"

"I have been gone a long time, from what I understand you and my sister are quite close"

Ammathel shifted, he wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go.

"We've been involved for quite some time, almost two years" he replied simply.

"It warms my heart to know that it is you. I know my sister doesn't speak to me much, and for good reason, but I wanted to make sure that it was really okay for you two to watch Trillium" Skylin spoke with concern.

"My feelings are not shared by your sister but I assure you that we will take care of her while you are gone" Ammathel replied considerately.

"I thank you Seraphim" Skylin bowed slightly before turning to walk away. She had walked several steps before Ammathel called out to her.

"Sky?"

Skylin turned slightly and looked back him.

"Your sister is here if you'd like to speak to her" Ammathel offered.

Skylin shook her head.

"It's not a good time, she's already let me know" Skylin tapped her forehead indicating she had talked to her telepathically.

He nodded at her as she turned and began walking down the corridor. He closed the door lightly and proceeded back to the bed. Avexis was lying under the covers, fast asleep. He sighed, and pulled the covers up slightly so he could slip into the bed without disturbing her. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, sleep came quickly.

Skylin sensed Ammathel's consciousness leave the higher realms and drift off into sleep. Her abilities to sense others and their states of mind had increased since she had been resurrected. She walked out into the courtyard and saw Nirryen sitting by a small pond. She slowly strolled over, her heels clicking along the cobblestone. Nirryen was flash freezing fish as they swam by her, before releasing them again unharmed. She chuckled lightly to herself as one fish sped away into the reeds.

"Making friends?" Skylin snickered.

Nirryen turned and faced her, leaning back on her elbows and kicked her feet up on the ledge. Her violet boots shimmered in the moonlight as she adjusted her position for comfort.

"I'm bored…" Nirryen replied, letting out a drawn out sigh.

"You're not sleeping again"

Nirryen looked down at the cobblestone and nodded. Skylin manifested a bench and stretched out on top of it, it hovered above the ground about three feet.

"It's been a long time since I've found a pillow I liked" Nirryen stated, running her hand through the pool of water and watching as the residue crystallized on her fingers.

"You need to go home" Skylin readjusted her weight and manifested an orb of light that hung over them in the quiet courtyard.

"Home…home's a long ways away"

"And here I was thinking that solutions were what you were looking for" Skylin smirked.

Nirryen splashed water at Sky, her hand becoming a light turquoise blue as the steams twinkled in the moonlight.

Sky shield herself with her hands, laughing out loud in playfulness.

"You know it's been a long time since I've been home" Nirryen said through her smile.

"Even more a reason to go, I'm sure Cerulean would love to see you and you could get some sleep, I know the noise in the cities is uncomfortable for you"

"Solitude water chambers, I miss them" Nirryen's glazed over a moment as she thought about the silence and peace of a full nights sleep.

"Come, I need to go for a flight" Skylin stood from her floating bench, and her violet wings burst forth from her back in a explosion of color and light rays.

"Tonight? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I have been resting for to many nights, I need to fly again, and I've been on the ground way to much" Skylin appealed, letting her wings flap slightly before they curved in on each other.

Nirryen pulled herself up and stood. She walked over to Skylin's wings and ran her hands along the feathers.

"They seem strong enough…but I don't think you can keep up" Nirryen chuckled as her turquoise wings sprouted from her back and she took off into the night. Skylin laughed, lifting off the ground and sped after her friend. Skylin caught up with her, as she approached the Shattrath quarters.

Nirryen turned toward Skylin and created a ball of light that floated beside of her for light.

"Wait here Nirry!" Skylin's voice cascaded across the sky.

"Where are you going?" Nirryen responded, watching Skylin fly down to her quarters.

Skylin landed on the quarter's balcony and walked into the room to find Trillium practicing her resurrection spell on several snails that littered the desk.

"Trill?"

"Mom! Hey I thought you were at council?"

"Just finished, are you busy?" Skylin questioned lightly, staring past her daughter at the snails. Trillium looked at them and laughed.

"They aren't co-operating, he won't come back" Trillium pointed at a snail that had curled up on the edge of the desk and wasn't moving. Skylin moved to her daughter's side and kissed the top of her head.

"Watch"

Skylin pointed her finger at the snail and a wisp of turquoise magic expelled from her hand into the snail. It immediately bounced back to life and went racing across the desk as fast as a snail could carry itself.

"Mom! That's not fair; you're not allowed to supercharge him, now he's doomed"

The snail that had just darted across the table coiled into a ball and then exploded all over the wall.

"Oops" Skylin grinned and started to tickle her daughter.

"Mom! No, stop! Mom!" Trillium squirmed up and down the chair laughing, and smiling. Skylin finally embraced her daughter and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Come on, you can play with the snails later, Nirry and I are going for a flight, we want to show you Nagrand"

"Okay, just let me put my boots on" Trillium scurried away to her closest and pulled out her blue and white leather boots. She casted a spell that tied them up in an instant and followed her mother out on to the balcony.

"Okay I'm good"

"Good, you see that light up there, that Nirry fly to her first" Skylin pointed to the dim light in the sky high above them.

Trillium's wings burst from her back and their glow lit up the entire balcony. Skylin watched in awe of her daughter's wings, they were so beautiful and pure in color and form. She casted her violet wings that contrasted her daughter's pure white ones and they both took off toward Nirry.

And the three of them flew off into the night.

…


End file.
